Berkeley, NSW: Berrigan Shire Council has undertaken an exciting body of work across a number of sites within the LGA to improve facilities for the community, partnering with unique vertical solar provider, PowerStack Energy.

The works involve the installation of PowerStack’s modular solar poles to power lighting, security cameras and wireless charging stations across key sites including Barooga Adventure Park and the Botanical Gardens, as well as Finlay Park and Railway park.

For lighting placements, Council chose the WE-EF VFL530 architectural luminaires, supplied by Buckford Illumination Group, with security applications using an Axis Communications P3268 LVE Outdoor 8MP Dome with IR and Deep Learning. The communications device used was a Permacon RAPIDLink managed 4GLTE router. These technologies are included in a wide network of partner devices that integrate seamlessly with the PowerStack pole.

PowerStack’s innovative off-grid solar system uses vertical glassless solar cells and has been utilized across Australia for projects ranging from wildlife conservation lighting and the prevention of illegal dumping to wifi network deployment in smart city applications. The fully integrated vertical solar poles can be installed in minutes and provide continuous power with a 5 day battery backup, running purely off harvested sunlight. This new form of solar removes the need for cabling, trenching and utility supply, saving users tens of thousands of dollars in install and access costs. The design also minimises disruption to communities when developing powered infrastructure and reduces the carbon footprint associated with ongoing utility provision.

Speaking about the project, Berrigan Shire Council’s Mayor, Cr. Matthew Hannan said,

”This project is part of a staged approach to continue to work towards a safer community for Berrigan Shire. Key areas have been identified as priority due to their popularity and/or history of vandalism. This new way of being able to access this technology will be a huge benefit for our Shire.”

The project, which comprises 32 poles in total, is one of a number of similar projects PowerStack has enabled, working alongside local councils. Co-founding director of PowerStack, Nathan Giblett commented,

‘With PowerStack… we wanted to provide a quicker, easier and more cost effective way to get powered infrastructure into communities, and of course being totally off-grid it’s a sustainable power source that can be up and running in minutes. We’re really excited to work with Berrigan Shire Council and looking forward to working on new uses and applications with them to benefit the Berrigan Shire community in future.’

The first round of poles is being installed on April 3rd and 4th, with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayor of Berrigan Shire Council on Tuesday, April 4th.

About PowerStack

PowerStack vertical, modular solar poles provide a new way to power safety, security and smart technologies for communities and businesses. Reliable, sustainable and totally off-grid power for lighting, cameras, network communications and more, PowerStack can be installed without the need for trenching, cabling or utility approvals. Designed and manufactured in Australia, PowerStack is based in Berkeley on Sydney’s south coast. An American office has also been opened in Austin, Texas to keep manufacturing local to clients. The poles, which are made from recycled aluminium, have a 10 year warranty and come Bluetooth and Wifi enabled. PowerStack is solar, reimagined.