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PowerStack off-grid solar system uses integrated vertical solar pole to run solar powered phone charging facility
Location: Skate Park, Coolamon Shire Council area, NSW
Product: M30 (3m) PowerStack solar pole, with a built in 4-way device charging port
Date/Year: 2024
Project: Coolamon Shire Council were looking to add public amenity to a local skate park. Having invested in the facilities at the park to create a welcoming space, they wanted to add powered infrastructure for phone charging. This would enable visitors and users of the area to stay connected and safe, providing free power for mobile device charging.
Challenge: Having already landscaped the area, it wasn’t ideal to have to dig up the skate park to access grid supply. Added to this the Council team were keen to add green, sustainable infrastructure if possible.
They were looking for a solution that could be grid-independent, and installed without causing too much disruption to the landscaping or the operation of the park.
The solution: The Council chose to deploy a PowerStack vertical solar pole, with an integrated 4-way wireless device charging station.
The PowerStack pole is 100% off-grid, meaning it requires no connection to an external electrical power source. The result is that the pole could be installed without needing to trench or cable in power, so the landscaping of the skate park was undisturbed.
In this project, the pole was installed using a concrete-free foundation, so it went in with minimal disruption and no need for heavy machinery or vehicle site access.
The 4-way charging pads were fully integrated into the solar pole, providing wireless, weatherproof device charging compatible with most current mobile phones.
”The ease of deploying powered infrastructure with PowerStack was great, so quick to install and no need for heavy machinery. Plus, it looks great and is bringing useful amenity to the community in a sustainable way. It ticks all the boxes!”
The power of PowerStack is that it is brand and technology agnostic. The easiest way to think about the technology is that it is the plug, or a micro-grid that gives you power where you need it. The choice of what you power is yours.
In this particular project, the 4-way charging device has been custom designed for the PowerStack pole and is available from our stockists. However for other devices such as cameras, lighting, sensors, etc, the integrator and end-user can choose from a huge range of different brands and device types. Then the PowerStack system is designed based on your total running wattage requirements and the location of your project.
The modular 4-sided nature of the PowerStack solar panel design make it highly flexible. Once you know the required wattage and location, our team works to calculate the minimum sun hours for that location (the mid-winter point, or shortest day of the year). When that’s confirmed, there will be an ideal pole configuration for your requirements, to guarantee reliable, off-grid power, even on the shortest day of the year.
For more information on how the PowerStack systems are designed and what you can power with them, please GET IN TOUCH. For a list of PowerStack suppliers, see the ‘Where to Buy’ page.
After the success the the initial site installation, Coolamon Shire has since deployed another solar powered 4-way charging pole for community use.
This second site was installed in September 2024.
Commenting on the additional project, PowerStack’s Steve Davis said,
”This is a great example of how, once people learn about the technology, they see further use cases and locations for it to be deployed and benefit users of that space.
It’s something we see fairly often, because you realise that once the barriers of accessing grid power are removed, there’s so much opportunity to create more connected, more useful spaces.
We’re thrilled that Coolamon Shire has taken the PowerStack concept and run with that, and we’re looking forward to working with them on additional projects in future. Be that for device charging, lighting designs or public safety infrastructure.”
PowerStack vertical solar can be used to power a number of different technologies including security cameras, IoT sensors, lighting, help points and wi-fi networks. Aside from reliable power supply, vertical solar has numerous benefits for both the integrator and the end user. Here are a few of the key features that made PowerStack a standout for this project.
Reliable green energy that enables power supply in areas that grid power can’t reach. Providing 24/7 uptime, totally off-grid.
Rugged, weatherproof design with shatterproof, fire resistant, glassless solar panels.
Flexible modular, integrated design is technology and brand agnostic, giving the end user full choice.
No heavy machinery required, installed in under an hour by a 2 person team. Winches down for easy maintenance.
Contact our friendly team to find out more.