Star Power Atlantic introduces green power to the rental industry

Pascal Gellrich saw a gap in the rental market and took a leap of faith when he opened his portable electric generator rental business, Star Power Atlantic. 

Gellrich always considered himself to be an environmentally conscious and sustainable consumer. For him, products that were both efficient and environmentally friendly were a no-brainer purchase. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles (EVs) and green technology began when he bought his first used EV in 2019.

“I am an energy nerd and kept a spreadsheet to see how much money I was saving by not purchasing gasoline,” he says. “And within four years, my EV basically paid for itself.”  

His passion for sustainable clean technology became a business proposition in 2022  when he spoke with his friend Mark Rabin, founder of Portable Electric, and decided to bring the technology to the East Coast.

“I jumped at the opportunity,” he says. “And started up the company with a small team of people.” 

By May, Gellrich founded the Nova Scotia-based business. He felt that the rental industry, specifically, was not leveraging ROI for its clients with battery energy storage systems.

 “The cost of renting battery energy storage systems pays for itself in fuel savings, resulting in increased savings for rental clients,” says Gellrich.

To him, it made sense to offer a rental business for electric generators and battery systems, as most people cannot sustain financing to purchase equipment for a one-time project. Renting out energy storage systems allows customers to get their job done efficiently while using sustainable equipment.

“There was a hole in the Canadian market,” says Gellrich. “Many other parts of the world, including Europe, are replacing diesel and gas generators with battery energy storage systems. Which is a much more efficient way of providing electricity.”

According to the Facilities Engineering Associates (FEA), a typical diesel generator produces more than twice the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) than electrical power. Yet, diesel generators are still the most common option for power, states the FEA. Additionally, the Canada Green Building Council (CGBC) states that embodied carbon from building construction is responsible for 10 per cent of all energy-related emissions globally. 

“Many businesses do not consider the alternative to diesel and gas generators just because it has been the technology we’ve been using for so long,” he says. “But it’s a quickly shifting landscape.”

Gellrich purchased four Portable Electric units, and within two weeks, they were rented out on film sets. Film and television production has become one of the more lucrative markets for Star Power Atlantic’s business. 

“We’ve run upwards of 20 film and television sets and several live events, including the Junos,” he says.

A lot of gear is rented out for film, explains Gellrich, and according to him, production companies appreciate power stations that make no noise and emit zero emissions. 

“With a battery power station, there is no need for sound shielding or lengthy cable runs to mask the sound of a diesel or gas generator. You can hear the actors. You don’t need to worry about wires, just place the unit where you need to film.” 

As the business grew, Gellrich purchased additional units, including the Voltstack 5k, the Voltstack 30k (an 80kWh unit), and Sunstacks, a portable solar kit that harnesses the power of the sun to deliver clean and sustainable energy. Star Power Atlantic products are also used in the construction industry, rental market and emergency response sectors. 

“If someone’s building a house, we can bring in our power on a trailer and park it on site. The contractors will use it from Monday to Friday, and then on the weekends, we tow it away, charge it and return it on Monday.” 

Gellrich calls this offering ‘power as a service.’

“Battery power stations provide a much more efficient use of energy, as there is no wasted idle time. The energy only draws down when there is a load requirement,” he says.  

Although battery energy storage systems do cost more than diesel and gas generators, Gellrich argues the ROI for clients is better because no fuel purchases are needed.

“There are benefits to using this kind of technology,” says Gellrich. “Star Power Atlantic is presenting a new way of delivering power.”

Gellrich believes making connections across Canada is important to his business model, as battery power stations begin to replace or hybridize with traditional gas and diesel generators.  

“The market continues to grow as the construction, events, and film sectors experience the benefits of this technology. Though traditional gas and diesel generators continue to serve a useful purpose, the portable power market will continue to shift to hybrid and battery energy storage system solutions.”

What makes Star Power Atlantic unique is there isn’t a physical warehouse; instead, it uses gear distribution locations throughout Eastern Canada, currently servicing the Atlantic Provinces with planned expansion into Ontario and Quebec. Like traditional equipment rental stores, Star Power Atlantic manages its products through fleet optimization systems and software.

 “Our most popular item right now is the Instagrid Go,” says Gellrich. “It’s small and portable but powerful. There is a lot of excitement around it.”

Ryan Larscheid, marketing lead for North America at Instagrid, agrees that there is a gap in the market for battery-based portable power supplies, especially in construction and rental. 

“Construction tools demand high peak power,” says Larscheid. “Saws and jackhammers, really anything you need to be plugged in on the job site requires pure instant power.” 

In essence, the Instagrid Go allows workers to place a power grid wherever they need one, despite not being next to an outlet or power source. 

Pascal Gellrich, founder of Star Power Atlantic. (Star Power Atlantic)

The product is also sustainable, which is why Gellrich feels electric generators will become popular in the next few years, as Canada is aiming to be net-zero by 2050. The federal government’s Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act aims to decarbonize new builds and construction. In 2019, the World Green Building Council called for a 40 per cent reduction in embodied carbon by 2030. 

The push for electric and green equipment in the construction industry is not unheard of, as sustainability has become a popularized trend. Gellrich feels it is likely that electric generators and batteries will become more popular. He hopes Star Power Atlantic will be a forerunner in the electric rental industry.