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RIFT Actuators
Net Zero & Off-Grid Infrastructure
Intelligent Electric Actuation for a Lower-Carbon Future
RIFT Actuators develops low-power electric actuation solutions for Net Zero, renewable energy and off-grid infrastructure applications, helping engineers automate critical assets where energy efficiency, reliability and remote operation are essential.
Our RAS, RAM and RAL actuator platforms combine British engineering with energy-efficient technology, intelligent control and flexible power options. Depending on configuration, RIFT actuators can operate with solar and battery systems, providing opportunities to automate assets in locations where mains power is unavailable, expensive or impractical.
From remote water infrastructure and agricultural applications to environmental monitoring, ventilation and emerging renewable energy projects, RIFT is developing electric actuation technology for a more autonomous and sustainable future.
RIFT Actuators
Actuation Without Traditional Mains Power
When Infrastructure Needs to Operate Remotely
One of the challenges facing modern infrastructure is how to automate assets in locations without convenient access to mains electricity.
Installing traditional electrical infrastructure can involve significant:
- Installation costs
- Groundworks
- Cabling
- Maintenance requirements
- Environmental disruption
- Long-term energy consumption
RIFT’s low-power electric actuation technology creates an alternative approach.
By combining a suitable RIFT actuator with solar generation and battery storage, engineers can develop autonomous systems capable of operating away from conventional power infrastructure.
This opens up opportunities for intelligent automation across remote and isolated environments.
RIFT Actuators
Solar + Battery + Smart Actuation
A New Approach to Off-Grid Automation
The combination of renewable power, energy storage and intelligent actuation creates a powerful platform for remote infrastructure.
A typical installation could combine:
Solar Panel
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Battery Storage
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RIFT SMART Actuator
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Valve / Damper / Mechanical Asset
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Remote Data & Control
The actuator becomes part of a self-contained system capable of controlling a physical asset while collecting valuable operational information.
This approach can reduce reliance on mains power while supporting wider sustainability and resilience objectives.
RIFT Actuators
Why Low-Power Actuation Matters
Renewable energy is only part of the Net Zero equation.
The efficiency of the equipment being powered is equally important.
RIFT’s patented Reduced Induction Field Technology has been developed to reduce electrical power requirements compared with conventional actuator technology.
Lower power demand can help make solar and battery-powered installations more practical, particularly where available energy is limited.
Potential benefits include:
- Reduced energy consumption
- Smaller renewable energy systems
- Improved battery utilisation
- Longer periods between charging
- Lower operating costs
- Greater deployment flexibility
This makes low-power actuation particularly relevant to remote infrastructure.
Designed for Net Zero Infrastructure
Net Zero requires organisations to consider the complete lifecycle of infrastructure.
That means looking beyond renewable energy generation and considering how individual assets consume energy, how frequently they require maintenance and how long they remain operational.
RIFT technology supports this approach through a combination of:
Low-Power Operation
Designed to minimise electrical demand.
Renewable Energy Compatibility
Suitable configurations can be integrated with solar and battery systems.
Intelligent Monitoring
SMART technology provides greater visibility of asset performance.
Predictive Maintenance
Operational information can support more proactive maintenance strategies.
Remote Operation
Connectivity can reduce the need for unnecessary physical site visits.
Extended Asset Performance
Features such as the Wiggle Function can help maintain reliable operation.
Remote Water Infrastructure
Net Zero Meets AMP8
Water remains one of RIFT’s strongest markets, and the move towards smarter, lower-carbon infrastructure is creating new opportunities for autonomous systems.
Remote water assets can be difficult and expensive to connect to mains power.
Potential applications include:
- Reservoirs
- Remote valve chambers
- Distribution networks
- Pressure management systems
- Pumping infrastructure
- Environmental monitoring
- Irrigation systems
A solar and battery-powered RIFT actuator can provide a route towards automated control without requiring traditional mains electrical infrastructure.
This supports the wider objectives of AMP8, where resilience, sustainability, operational efficiency and smarter asset management are increasingly important.
Agricultural & Irrigation Applications
Smart Water Management Where Power Is Limited
Agricultural environments often contain water infrastructure spread across large areas.
Irrigation valves, water outlets, livestock drinking systems and drainage infrastructure may be located far from existing power and communications networks.
RIFT’s low-power technology creates opportunities for autonomous agricultural water management.
Potential applications include:
- Irrigation valve control
- Crop watering systems
- Livestock water systems
- Reservoir management
- Drainage control
- Remote water outlets
- Agricultural environmental management
Solar-powered actuation could allow operators to automate individual assets without installing extensive electrical infrastructure across fields and remote land.
Intelligent Remote Asset Management
Off-grid does not have to mean disconnected.
RIFT SMART technology is being developed around the concept of intelligent remote assets that can collect and provide operational information.
Depending on configuration, this can include information relating to:
- Actuator operation
- Valve performance
- Asset condition
- Battery status
- Solar charging
- Operating cycles
- Maintenance requirements
This information can support better asset management and help operators make informed decisions without routinely visiting every installation.
Remote Connectivity
Remote infrastructure can be expensive to maintain when every inspection requires an engineer to travel to the asset.
RIFT SMART Actuators can provide connectivity and remote access capabilities depending on configuration.
This can allow operators to:
- Monitor actuator status
- Review operational information
- Configure settings
- Identify potential issues
- Support maintenance planning
Reducing unnecessary travel can provide both financial and environmental benefits.
RIFT Actuators
What Happens When There Is No Mobile Signal?
Traditional remote monitoring often relies on cellular connectivity.
However, remote agricultural, environmental and water assets can exist in areas where 4G or 5G coverage is limited or unavailable.
This creates an opportunity for alternative communication approaches.
RIFT is exploring the potential of drone-assisted data collection, where a drone could act as a mobile communications gateway for remote actuator networks.
A future system could allow a drone to fly over a group of remote assets, collect operational information from RIFT SMART Actuators and return to a connected location where the data can be uploaded for analysis.
The same platform could potentially deliver updated actuator instructions or configuration data back to remote assets.
This is an emerging area of development, but it demonstrates the potential of combining intelligent actuation with new approaches to remote infrastructure management.
The Future of Autonomous Infrastructure
Solar. Battery. Data. Automation.
The combination of low-power actuation, renewable energy, data collection and intelligent control could fundamentally change how remote infrastructure is managed.
Instead of building expensive traditional infrastructure to reach every asset, future systems could use:
Renewable Energy
Solar generation provides local power.
Battery Storage
Energy is stored for actuator operation.
Smart Actuation
RIFT controls the physical asset.
Data Collection
Operational information is captured at the asset.
Remote Communications
Data is transmitted through an appropriate communications technology.
Intelligent Analysis
Operators use the information to make better decisions.
This creates a potential pathway towards highly autonomous infrastructure.
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Predictive Maintenance for Remote Assets
Know When an Asset Needs Attention
Maintenance becomes more challenging as assets move further away from traditional infrastructure.
RIFT SMART technology supports a move towards condition-based asset management by monitoring operational behaviour over time.
This can help operators identify changes that may indicate deterioration and determine when further investigation or maintenance could be required.
For remote infrastructure, this could mean engineers are sent to site because an asset actually requires attention rather than simply because it has reached a scheduled inspection date.
The result can be more efficient maintenance planning and fewer unnecessary journeys.
The RIFT Wiggle Function
Remote valves can remain stationary for long periods.
The RIFT Wiggle Function periodically exercises the valve to help prevent sticking and remove build-up around the valve seat.
This can help:
- Maintain reliable operation
- Reduce maintenance requirements
- Extend asset life
- Reduce unnecessary intervention
For solar-powered and remote installations, maintaining reliable valve movement can be particularly important because physical access may be difficult.
SMART Diagnostics
An off-grid asset should not have to be an unintelligent asset.
RIFT SMART technology provides the foundation for collecting valuable information from the actuator and connected equipment.
Depending on configuration, features can include:
- SMART diagnostics
- Operational monitoring
- Valve condition information
- GPS
- WiFi connectivity
- Modbus
- Onboard PLC functionality
- Remote configuration
This enables engineers to develop increasingly sophisticated remote infrastructure solutions.
GPS Asset Location
Remote infrastructure networks can cover large geographical areas.
GPS functionality provides an additional layer of asset visibility, helping operators identify and manage distributed actuators.
Combined with asset condition and operational information, location data can contribute to more efficient maintenance planning and infrastructure management.
Net Zero Ventilation
The potential for low-power actuation extends beyond water infrastructure.
Ventilation systems, dampers and airflow management equipment can also benefit from efficient electric positioning.
In buildings and remote facilities where energy efficiency is important, RIFT technology can provide automated control while supporting wider Net Zero objectives.
Potential applications include:
- Ventilation dampers
- Airflow control
- Remote buildings
- Agricultural structures
- Environmental systems
- Specialist ventilation
