A battery generator has joined the power department: the VOLTAB PRO, with 21.9 kWh of stored energy and 10 kW of continuous output on 230 V, through one CEE 32 A and one CEE 16 A outlet.
The specification that matters most on a set is not the capacity. It is under 40 dB — quieter than a normal conversation, and quiet enough to stand in the same room as the sound recordist. That single number is what separates a battery unit from a combustion generator, and it is usually what decides whether a location works at all.
What it changes on location
A petrol generator lives outside: on the street, behind the building, at the end of a long cable run, with someone assigned to watch it. The VOLTAB PRO does not. With no engine, no fuel and no exhaust, it can stand inside the location — in a courtyard, in a cloister, on a terrace — where a combustion unit would never be permitted.
For productions shooting in the historic centre of Naples, along the Amalfi Coast or on Capri, that is frequently the difference between a location being granted and being refused. Night exteriors in residential streets stop being a negotiation with the neighbours, and interiors can be lit without a hum sitting under every take.
How long it runs
Runtime is simply the capacity divided by what you draw from it:
- One 1000 W LED — around 21 hours
- A 1.5 kW lighting package — around 14 hours, a full day with margin to spare
- 5 kW across the set — around 4 hours
- 10 kW, everything at maximum — around 2 hours
In practice a shooting day rarely sits at peak draw, so a single charge normally carries a standard LED package through the day without thinking about it.
Recharging
The VOLTAB PRO recharges from three different sources, which is what makes it practical on location rather than only in the warehouse:
- a domestic socket, so it can charge overnight anywhere there is normal power
- an industrial 16 A or 32 A socket, for a faster turnaround
- an EV charging point — useful on multi-day jobs far from base
Charging speed is adjustable, which matters when the building’s supply is limited and you need to draw gently overnight rather than trip the mains.
One more thing
The unit switches to battery in under 20 milliseconds during a power cut, so it can sit between an unreliable supply and the equipment as an uninterruptible source. In old buildings with fragile wiring, that protects the shooting day as much as it protects the gear.
Availability
The VOLTAB PRO is available for rental from our Naples depot, with delivery across Campania, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Puglia, Sicily and Rome.
See the full specifications and add it to your request list →
