Ukrainian company BlueBird Tech has launched a rental service for its "Genera-1200" charging stations, designed to provide backup power to households during possible electricity outages. The service is available across Ukraine and is aimed at people who need reserve power for a limited period, particularly during prolonged blackouts.
Renting a Genera-1200 costs 900 hryvnias per day. Customers must first pay a deposit equal to the unit's full price of 54,840 hryvnias, which is refunded once a working station is returned. If a customer later decides to buy the device outright, the rental fees already paid are deducted from the purchase price.
What the Genera-1200 can power
The Genera-1200 uses a LiFePO4 battery with a capacity of 1,344 watt-hours. It has a rated power output of 700 watts, with a peak of up to 1,000 watts. According to BlueBird Tech, the station can run a router, laptop, television, lighting, a gas boiler and a circulation pump, and can charge smartphones and other electronics.
The company said the station is not suited to powerful heating appliances, including electric water heaters and space heaters, which draw more power than the unit can supply.
The Genera-1200 recharges from a standard 220-volt outlet in roughly three to four hours. It can also be connected to solar panels, giving users an alternative way to recharge it without mains electricity.
BlueBird Tech's other products
BlueBird Tech is a Ukrainian technology company that has previously focused on equipment for drone operations. It has presented the Clover 5.8 GHz antenna for FPV drones and has also launched production of the "Chipa" net guns, used to bring down drones at a range of up to 25 metres.
The launch of the Genera-1200 rental scheme marks a move by the company into consumer backup power equipment, a market that has grown in Ukraine as households look for ways to keep essential devices running when the grid goes down.
