If you walk past a construction site in Hong Kong these days, you might notice something missing. The usual roar of diesel generators has faded,  and fumes that used to hang over every street corner are gone. In their place sits a quiet, box-shaped unit with a faint green glow. This is Ampd Energy’s Enertainer — a modular battery system that’s transforming how cities are powered.

Diesel generators have been the beating heart of construction sites for decades. They’re rugged, familiar, and dependable, but are also emissions-intensive and loud. A single generator can emit as much nitrogen oxide as dozens of cars, and its noise can reach the volume of a motorcycle engine running nonstop for hours. In tightly packed cities like Hong Kong, London, or Singapore, the noise and pollution can impact human health. Ampd Energy’s founders, both engineers from the construction industry, saw this as a challenge: could they deliver the same reliability without the fumes and noise?

The answer came in the form of the Enertainer, a sleek, fully electric energy storage system roughly the size of a small shipping container. It connects directly to cranes, drills, and lighting systems, or anything that once ran on diesel. The system stores power from the grid or renewable sources and releases it on demand. The concept is simple but effective. Sites don’t need new infrastructure or training. The Enertainer plugs in where the generator once stood, resulting in reliable power, fewer delays, and reduced emissions. Ampd’s batteries also offer an innovative digital platform for data tracking. Its digital platform tracks energy use across equipment, allowing managers to monitor consumption, cut idle time, and reduce waste– lowering costs and emissions. The impact extends beyond efficiency. With less noise and cleaner air, nearby residents file fewer complaints, and workers say it’s easier to communicate and focus. The work environment improves, and the city feels calmer.

Ampd Energy’s success also highlights a broader shift in how cities are thinking about emissions.  Construction accounts for nearly 10 percent of global CO₂ emissions, and innovations like these can help change that. The company has already expanded beyond Hong Kong, with projects in Singapore, Australia, and the UK. Each city faces its own energy challenges, but the appeal is universal: cleaner air, quieter streets, and a more efficient way to build. What started as an experiment in one of the world’s densest cities has become a model for sustainable urban operations.

Ampd Energy isn’t just selling batteries. It’s modernizing how cities build. With innovations like this, the future of building can be clean, quiet, and efficient.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.