Powersystems History – A timeline from 1977
1977
PSUK first storage unit in Chipping Sodbury.
- Powersystems founded by Mike Wilsmore and Derek Earby both having previously worked for the Midlands Electricity Board as specialist engineers.
1978
Furnace at Lister Petter
- Lister Petter HV electrical infrastructure for new foundry & casting lines.
1980
Stuart Wilsmore at work in the new offices.
- Moved and expanded to new premises in Thornbury.
1980-1988
LV switchboard replacement at British Aerospace.
1989-1991
Generator at Brogborough Landfill site.
- 1987 – Ground power supplies installed for F1-11 /A320 Airbus.
- 1989 – 11kV site infrastructure installation at Ford, Bridgend.
- 1991 – Brogborough Landfill site completed. First commercial landfill generation site.
- 1992 – Start work at Bristol Port Company – a relationship that still continues today.
1993-1996
Llyn Brianne dam, spillway & hydro-electric scheme
- 1992 – Glenridding, Ffestiniog, Barton Lock & Llyn Brianne hydro-electric schemes installed.
- 1993 – Powersystems achieves ISO 9002 Quality accreditation.
- 1993 – Powersystems first involvement in wind power at Goonhilly Windfarm, Cornwall.1994 – New high voltage factory infrastructure for British American Tobacco, Southampton.
1995-1997
Founding members Mike Wilsmore (left) & Derek Earby (right)
- 1995 – New factory high voltage infrastructure for Cromptons Paper Mill, Lydney.
- 1996 – Major 11kV switchboard changes carried out for Rolls Royce.
- 1997 – 20 years on, Powersystems moves to a larger office and warehouse in Yate and celebrates being awarded the Electrical Times Faraday Award.
1997
Stangate Landfill 132/33kV transformer
- 1997 – Registered as the first Independent Connection Provider (ICP) with Lloyds Register under the NERS scheme.
- 1997 – First 132kV contestable grid connection completed in the UK by an ICP to Stangate Landfill.
- 1997-2002 – Generator upgrades at 12 BT trunk exchanges, including BT Tower.
1995-1998
Electrical Industry Environmental Award
- 1995-2002 – Over 50 Combined Heat & Power installations for Nedalo, including swimming pools, hotels, RAF bases, universities & horticultural greenhouses.
- 1998 – Powersystems win the Electrical Industry Environmental Award.
1997-2003
HiTec Rotary UPS
- 1997 – Over the next 17 years more than 25 rotary UPS installations carried out for HiTec, including Merrill Lynch, City Bank, RBS, HBOS and RBM Amro Bank.
- 2002 – 11kV infrastructure installation for new Met Office, Exeter.
- 2002 – First adopted 33/11kV primary substation in UK constructed for Addenbrookes NHS trust and adopted by UKPN.2002 – Over the following 10 years more than 75 turnkey landfill gas generation sites constructed for waste recycling group, Biffa,
- Virador and Shanks & McEwan.
2003-2008
Melbury Dairies AD Plant – one of many generation schemes installed by Powersystems
- 2003 – Work starts with UK based Formula 1 teams.
- 2004 – Tir Mostyn windfarm, 33kV grid connection & infrastructure.
- 2005 – ICP provider for Npower installing grid connections over the next 4 years more than 80 sites including Wembley development, Knowsley Schools, PFI, Chevron Fuels.
- 2006 – Stuart Wilsmore takes over as Managing Director.
2009
Aikengall Windfarm, Scotland
- Dstatcom installation at Aikengall Windfarm for S&C Electric to achieve grid code compliance.
2010
Warner Bros Studios substation
- 33/11kV primary substation & infrastructure, built for Warner Bros Studios & Harry Potter visitor attraction.
2010-2011
Solar Farm
- 2010 – Installation of high voltage infrastructure including 25 grid connections to more than 100 windfarms over the next 7 years.
- 2011 – Accredited under18001:2007 Occupational Health & Safety Standard.
- 2011 – First 5MW field based solar generation project connected at 33kV.
2012-2015
Newly renovated Yate offices
- 2012 – First Gas to Grid anaerobic digestion project for Duchy of Cornwall.
- 2015 – Offices in Yate expanded and modernised to include meeting rooms, training rooms and fully equipped gym.
2016-2017
Pen Y Cymoedd Windfarm, Wales
- 2016 – Milestone of 3GW of wind generation infrastructure installed.
- 2017 – Pen Y Cymoedd Windfarm completed our largest windfarm to date – 76 turbines producing 228MW.
2017
Derek Earby, Barbara Wilsmore, Stuart Wilsmore celebrate 40 years of success
- 2017 – Powersystems celebrate 40 years in operation.
- 2017 – Accredited under quality & environmental standards ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 14001:2015
2018
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure installed for Millbrook Vehicle Proving Ground.
2019
Powersystems became an Employee Owned Business
2020
First UK Greener Grid Project and world’s largest offshore wind farm
- Powersystems awarded electrical works for the First UK Greener Grid Project, which is part of the stability contract as part of National Grid’s Stability Pathfinder Project to meet its ambition that by 2025 the electricity system can be operated at zero carbon.
- Powersystems awarded the electrical cable installation works contract for the world’s largest offshore wind farm Dogger Bank, under construction.
2021
Celebrating 44 years
- Powersystems celebrate 30 years in the renewable energy wind farm market
- Powersystems celebrate 44 years in operation
- Powersystems are powering the UK to a green recovery, with 5 GW of wind farm projects installed and underway for 2021