At Warner, Queensland, Canyon Solar has delivered its most ambitious solar car park structure installation to date – a 250kWp system over 78 car spaces, installed in just three weeks.
The highlight? All 36 prefabricated solar pods were craned into place in a single night. This meant the most significant aspect of construction occurred without any disruption to patrons.
“This project is a clear demonstration of the benefits of a prefabricated approach to installing solar canopies in live retail carpark settings. Drawn-out construction in a car park frustrates customers, and impacts store revenue. We know this is a key concern for clients and landlords when considering installing a solar canopy.
Will Beaumont, Managing Director, Canyon Solar
By working with the landlord, Woolworths and our head contractor, Smart Commercial Solar, Canyon Solar was able to offer the solution of a three-week installation with prefabricated solar pods and overnight crane lift, as an alternative approach to a staged, in situ installation taking months. Canyon was able to achieve this ambitious installation timeline because 80% of the canopy is fabricated off-site, reducing construction risk and delays.
Canyon’s approach is to take up the entire canopy installation zone – but just for a fraction of the time of traditional construction. In week 1, we installed foundations. In week 2, we installed structural steel, and in one night, lifted all 36 prefabricated solar pods into place. This meant that by the end of week 2, 90% of the solar canopy was complete. Just 5 days later, at the end of week 3, parking spots underneath the waterproof solar canopies were already filled with shoppers during the busy Friday afternoon period.
Fast Facts – Warner Solar Canopy Project
250kWp solar shade covering 78 car spaces
36 prefabricated pods, lifted and installed in one night
Equipment included a 60-tonne mobile crane and 25-tonne Franna
Pods featured Canyon’s longest pod to date, reaching 14.7 metres
Installed and handed back to patrons in under 3 weeks
Want to see how it works? See the entire installation here:
