Off-grid parcel lockers in winter conditions

The operational reliability of off-grid parcel lockers during the winter months is the subject of many professional discussions. Since we have extensive experience with the operation of several hundred of these units in the middle of a winter season characterized by heavy snowfall, freezing rain, temperatures dropping to -20°C, and limited sunshine, we would like to share our findings with you.

The AlfaBOX off-grid system from ALFA 3, s.r.o. is characterized by its excellent resistance to winter conditions. By using batteries with high thermal and chemical stability, minimal self-discharge rate, and long service life of more than 20,000 charging cycles, combined with electronics that ensure efficient charging, we have achieved results where more than 90% of our locker parks have battery levels between 85-100% of their capacity in December and January. All remaining units have battery levels above 65%, including the newly installed units, which are supplied with batteries charged to 50-60 % battery for safety reasons.

We have also tested the operation of the units using the battery alone, without the support of the solar panel recharging, and have confirmed that our energy calculations correspond to reality. We can conclude that a fully charged battery will keep the device in regular operation for more than 45 days.

Our experience also shows that the orientation of the solar panel to the cardinal points is not very significant due to its size. Still, we recommend avoiding a north orientation and shading the solar panel throughout the day.

High operational reliability and predictive maintenance are supported by our key operating parameter monitoring system, which allows customers to receive low battery alerts and verify the suitability of the installation site in terms of shading and solar panel orientation.

If you are interested, we would be happy to arrange a visit to our manufacturing facility, where we will show you our advanced Prima Power robotic production line and assembly line and give you a more detailed look at our parcel lockers' electronic and software features.