Mer Group, a Norwegian charging solutions company owned by Statkraft, has installed a 36.27 kW wooden PV canopy at a pilot EV charging station in Spittal an der Drau, Austria.
Austrian PV module manufacturer Sonnenkraft supplied the bifacial solar panels for the charging station, a company spokesperson said pv magazine.
The spruce PV canopy structure includes 18 fast charging points with a capacity of up to 400 kW.
Several design features of the PV canopy protect the location from wet weather. The Sonnenkraft spokesperson said Vivatro used overlapping dry glazing sealant technology to secure the panels, replacing conventional silicone sealants. This method provides protection against the elements and requires less maintenance.
According to Austrian wood supplier Hasslacher Norica, the wooden parts were installed with a minimum of 30 cm space between the end edge and the water-bearing level. The facilities in Stall im Mölltal and Hermagor, Austria, supplied the materials.
Hasslacher Norica also provided logistics support and modular prefabricated components with a sheet steel foundation, allowing the timber structure to be built quickly in four days, the company said.
The EIA electric vehicle station project was not the first wooden PV carport of its kind built by Hasslacher Norica. It has completed pilot projects for Germany-based Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) HyperNetz, installing two identical EnBW fast-charging parks in Lichtenau and Nahetal, Germany. It has also supplied timber for a Vivatro charging station in St. Veit an der Glan, Austria, and for several charging station projects in the UK.
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