About

Our Story

The story of Xtralec can be told in three phases:

The Dream
The Hobby
The Reality

Dream of a wood burning stove generating electricity!

Our dream started several years ago in the world environment of climate change, depleting energy resources, and the need for new renewable energy sources. We got hooked on the idea of thermoelectric generators and how they helped satellites run in space year after year - free energy? Could we utilise this technology to generate power on Earth?

Thermoelectric generators can produce electricity from heat differences. We will let Wiki explain more if you are interested, see "Thermoelectric generator" on Wikipedia.

With 15 years experience in the fuel industry, and a background in supplying FSC certified fuel for wood burning stoves, we embarked on the project to develop a wood burning stove that could produce electricity. Just as wind turbines and solar power have become commonplace to generate electricity, could we generate electricity from the waste heat generated by a wood burning stove? It would have to be enough energy to actually be useful, not just to charge a mobile phone!

Building a wood stove to generate electricity!

We started to "play" with thermoelectric generators and to understand the technology. We were soon fascinated about this technology and despite it's long history there were few applications outside of specialist areas at the time. If you are going to utilise technology you have to understand how it works and how effective it can be. All the time spent as a hobby was invaluable in learning how best to employ this technology into our dream application of a wood burning stove. The hobby period was both fun and creative. One of our team used a thermoelectric generator, which he built himself, in a portable camp stove, to charge his iPhone when away camping for the weekend. Our prototype stove was soon being developed using the experience we were gaining by trial and error, our first "real" test results were great, but we wanted more. We knew this could work.

Generating electricity from a wood stove!

The hobby period was over and we set up a workshop at a private location to continue developing the stove and the use of the thermoelectric generators. We now have further developed our generators together with our wood burning stoves and our prototypes work perfectly.

Over the years our team of experts have developed a control system with circuitry capable of making our stove fully automatic. Now all we have to do is simply light the fire and the stove springs into life, automatically switching on water pumps, and generating electricity. Our test stove has now been running several years without a hitch. Every time we light the stove it runs perfectly. The generators are protected within the walls of the stove making them secure and accident free. As satellites, launched in the seventies, are still being powered by thermal electrics, it is believed by some, that if not struck by space debris the satellites will still be running in 100 years time. Let's hope our electricity generating stoves will be the same.

Micro Power Station

Our attention turned towards off grid situations, bringing electricity to all. With 1.1 billion people living without electricity we realised our technology could change lives the world over. 3.5 billion people cook with wood and 2.5 billion people burn wood for heating, what a waste, when electricity production is so precious. Our micro power station is capable of bringing light not just to a home, but also to an entire community. Our plan now, after 7 years of development, is to have a customised multi fuel micro power station in production during the coming months. We will launch initially in developing nations and off grid situations. Any off grid community will find this micro power station invaluable. Not only will our power station generate enough electricity to power up to 500 lights, from which 500 mobile phones can be charged, it will also heat water, for washing, cooking, or heating. This incredible device is only the size of a cooker found in most kitchens and uses only 4-5 kilos of fuel per hour, depending on fuel type (The calorific value of the fuel used can vary, the heat output makes a difference to the power output.) This topic is explained in fuel requirements on our web site.

As our micro power station goes to the production phase, our research and development does not stop. New technologies as they develop will allow us to achieve higher outputs. We also still dream. One of our dreams is that our devices will be of real help in the third world, helping light up countries such as Africa where 61 million people are without electricity and India where more than 30 thousand villages are also without electricity. Hundreds of field hospitals can not keep medicines as refrigeration is required and without power lives are at risk. Conventional fuel is also very expensive and not always readily available.

We are dedicated to explore all opportunities in generating extra power from waste heat resources.

Fuel able to make electricity!

Any dry burnable fuel will produce electricity. We are trialing the burning of wood, leaves, grass, coconut shell, even dried palm leaves and all work perfectly. This power station will power up from most anything, free fuel brings free electricity. Our attention also turned to burning technology, how to make green electricity from burning without polluting our precious environment. Using catalytic converters in our electrical production is of considerable assistance to the cleanliness of the burn. As new regulations come into force the world over, we all have to be very mindful of our fragile environment and leaving a green planet for future generations.

Turning our attention once more!

As the micro power station is going through its rigorous testing phase, we have turned our attention to LED technology, how to take the best advantage of the power we produce. We have engaged the assistance of a very knowledgable bespoke LED lighting company. Using its trained electrical technicians, we are developing LED technology and lighting in order to further develop our project. With the advancement of LED technology we believe that very soon our lighting experts will have developed a light that uses less energy, which will double the amount of lights our power station can illuminate from five hundred to one thousand.

Consider its potential!

1
One Light! In some communities only one light is needed in a small house, meaning 500 homes can have electric lights, with the electricity produced by one micro power station using free renewable or waste materials.
2
24 Hours Per Day! A micro power station is able to run 24 hours per day in any environment, unlike solar, requiring daylight or turbines reliant on wind.
3
Power! Our appliance will power up a school so students can work after dark.
4
Street Lights! Street lights will keep people safer at night in the most dangerous of places, with child abuse and rape being common place in some areas.
5
Hospitals! A field hospital, with a micro power station could power a fridge keeping medicines at their best and lights for emergency surgery during the night.
6
Clean Water! Consider being able to pump water from a well and filter it for drinking.
7
Mobile Phones! In some countries, charging a mobile phone means walking for up to 10 kilometres and paying a huge amount of money for a single charge! Our micro power station can allow many people to charge their mobile phone!
8
The internet! The potential to be able to connect to the Internet could be a life changing experience , not to mention the knowledge and education that comes along with it!
9
Fuel! No expensive cost of diesel or petrol for a generator capable of running on renewable biomass fuel!
10
Servicing! Generators need constant attention due to so many moving parts. Our power station has no moving parts (Explained in Thermoelectric Technology on our web site.)

Charitable organisations.

Talks are under way with a newly formed charitable organisation, set up especially to work with Xtralec. Our founders, Howard and Pauline Pym have been working with charitable causes for more than 40 years.

Howard commented that, after living in the poorest of countries, some times sleeping in mud huts and shanty shacks, he understands the need for power. knowing that just one light, no matter how dim or bright, can change a life. Howard commented, "Like-minded people working together can move mountains and a little electricity can change a life.

Together people's power can achieve anything!"