Remote Gate Automation for Private Airfield

The Project

We were approached by a private airfield in rural Northamptonshire that needed a secure and reliable way to automate one of their perimeter swing gates. The catch? The gate was located in a completely off-grid location with no access to mains electricity. The client needed a system that would allow keypad and fob access locally, but also allow staff in the control tower to open and close the gate remotely, with full monitoring capabilities.

Our Approach

This wasn’t your typical gate automation job. Because there was no power supply, we had to carefully calculate power consumption, battery life, solar viability, and winter performance. We knew we had to take a smart, sustainable approach. So, working alongside our trusted supplier, we designed a low-voltage gate system with a built-in low-power standby mode to reduce energy draw when not in use.

We also integrated an HKC keypad and fob reader that operates on its own internal battery, completely independent of the main gate system. This helped us preserve battery power and keep local access reliable even during darker winter months. For safety, we installed wireless photocells, also running on their own battery supply, to provide obstacle detection and prevent accidental closing during use.

After a few minor alterations and confirmation from the Mitsubishi technical department, we were able to reduce the flow temperatures and therefore reduce the customers’ running costs.

The Solution

To tie the entire system together, we used a multi-network GSM module. This allowed for: full remote gate control from the control tower, real-time gate status monitoring, solar panel charge tracking, and tamper alerts for the battery and control cabinet.

We also had bespoke mounting hardware made for the solar panel and all automation brackets. This meant we could install everything securely without removing the existing gate, saving time and disruption on-site.

The Result

The client was absolutely delighted. The gate is now fully automated, completely off-grid, and controlled from both local access points and a central control tower. We’ve built in a manual override for emergencies and designed the system to be easily expanded. Should they wish to automate other gates on-site, they can now do so seamlessly, even triggering an “open all gates” command remotely in the event of an emergency. Everything is secure, sustainable, and scalable.