Open Air Business April 2017

GLAMPSITES
Power to
the People!
To avoid leaving your clients in the dark, Open Air Business
takes a look at off-grid power provision
GETTY IMAGES
BY THEIR VERY nature, the ideal locations
for glamping accommodation are often off
the beaten track and therefore away from
the services that most people take for
granted such as mains drainage, gas and
electricity.
Although the concept of glamping is all
about escaping from the day to day norm,
most glampers expect a certain degree of
luxury, and a feeling of home from home.
For example, many people want to be
contactable and to be able to charge their
mobile phones wherever they are. Where
these services are not easily available,
the challenge is to offer alternatives that
combine the provision of power, and thus
comfort, with the authentic glamping
experience that promotes a feeling of
getting back to nature.
Adrian Williams, managing director of
Solar Technology International, explains:
“As the glamping industry continues
to see growth, its offer of rustic charm
coupled with a sense of understated
luxury can be more fully met with the
provision of off-grid electricity to power
lighting, water pumps and so on. Wiring
up to the grid is not only an expensive
option, but also an impractical one with
the seasonal and sometimes nomadic
nature of glampsites. In addition, the
disruption of the natural landscape
undermines the ‘off-grid’ ethos of
glamping.”
According to Tim Smerdon, owner of
Mobile Solar Chargers and co-owner of
Solar Charging Can, many of those who
choose glamping as an option are city
dwellers and are therefore looking for an
experience that is rural, rustic and above
all quiet. He says: “I think phone charging
is seen as a necessity - people like to
have the option, even though they might
choose not to use it - as is lighting.”
Alicia Whymark, product manager,
Portable Power Technology, agrees
that light and power are an important
commodity to offer your glamping
customers on off-grid sites. “Customers
may want to turn off all their devices
and get right back to nature and some
may want to retain as many creature
comforts as possible, but most will reside
somewhere in the middle,” she says.
“Everyone needs light and energy, it’s just
a question of how much.”
GETTING CONNECTED
So, light and energy are considered
essential, but if you are to avoid potential
noise and disruption to the surrounding
landscape while keeping in mind those
‘green’ credentials, what are the off-grid
options?
Solar power is probably the one
that first springs to mind. The sun can
provide lots of electric power (especially
if your accommodation gets a lot of
solar exposure). However, it is unlikely
to be cost-effective to rely on solar
energy alone. Therefore, solar might be
considered part of the answer rather than
the total solution. Solar panels can be
installed on the roof of a hut or in a sunny
spot nearby. Energy collected by the
panels can then be used to power the hut
directly or to charge a battery. The success
of this option does, however, rely on the
sun exposure of your chosen plot.
If you get good news after you contact
your local weather service to check on
the average wind speed in your area,
generating electricity from residentialsized
wind turbines is another option
for off-grid energy. Knowing the average
and wind speed ranges, you can estimate
how much electricity a given system
will produce. However, you should
keep in mind that wind speeds can vary
significantly from regional averages
depending on local topography.
If you require energy on a small scale,
there are plenty of experts who can offer
28 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM