Shared power bank stations – power consumption and cost estimate
One of the most frequently asked questions is how to calculate the cost of having a shared power bank station online.
Here is where we break down the cost and calculation of our stations, so you can understand and calculate the price in your specific market.
How does a Brick station work - what consumes electricity?
The station can have two stages that define consumption level; Standby or Charging.
Standby mode
Standby is the state where the station is not changing any power bank. While in Standby, the station continues to communicate both online and offline. Here, there are two factors that consume power:
- The communication with our server
Once turned on, the station connects via SIM card and has constant communication with our servers, always ready to release a power bank upon a message that a customer wants a power bank. - The communication with the end user
Each power bank slot has a led light that communicates the slot’s status. When a rental is initiated, the led light will blink to indicate which power bank was released.
The Standby power consumption of both the Small and Medium stations is 5W.
Brick station energy consumption while charging
When an uncharged power bank gets inserted, it immediately starts to recharge. The station increases the consumption by 7,5W until the power bank is fully charged. If the station holds more than four uncharged batteries, the station will prioritize the four first and continue with the 5th once any of the four first is fully charged. When all power banks are 100% charged, the station reverts to Standby.
Example:
A small station with 4 uncharged powerbanks consumes 35W per hour (35Wh). The powerbanks are fully charged after one hour, but let's say for this example that it would run at 35W for 24h, the power consumption would then be 35*24 = 840W (0.84kW).
How long time does it take to charge a power bank?
It takes approximately 1 hour for a station to charge a Brick power bank from 0 to 100%.
Can't the stations charge faster?
Some people have asked why it takes 1 hour and if the power banks can't be charged faster. Our focus is to maximize the usage of products and resources. That includes maximizing the lifetime while optimizing the uptime. The charging technology is designed to protect the battery and prolong its lifetime.
Quick formula for calculating energy consumption
The following formula summarizes the yearly power consumption of both our Small and Medium stations and the cost estimate:
45kW + 2,7kW * how many rentals on average per day during a year.
Example: a Small station that, on average, has 4 rentals/day. The consumption is then calculated as 45kW + 2,7kW * 4 = 56kW / year.
To get the cost, you simply multiply the venue’s price per kW by the kW. Let’s say the venue you talk to pays €0.3 per kW. The yearly cost would then be 56*0,3 = €16,8.
We will soon add a power consumption calculator to this article. Stay tuned for more information!
Interested in building passive income or a large-scale business?
The start-up cost of becoming a Brick partner is €4 000. For many, 20 stations and a passive income from their Brick stations is more than enough. To others, it is an opportunity to build a large-scale business without having to add a range of operating costs.
See full revenue calculations or go ahead and apply to become a network partner
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