Cost-effective Timber Pile Solar Canopy System in West Wareham, MA
Design and Permitting
Weston & Sampson has developed a utility patent-pending approach for a timber pile solar canopy structure. This novel and cost-effective design uses timber piles and a lightweight steel truss for covered parking, pedestrian walkways and agricultural dual-use land applications. The timber piles are utility grade wooden poles used throughout the U.S. to support the electrical transmission and distribution grid network. We prepared stamped engineered construction drawings which includes an embedment and foundation system stamped by a Professional Engineer. The project was developed by Weston & Sampson as a proof-of-concept demonstration project and hosted by Bayside Agriculture, Inc., in the Town of Wareham, Massachusetts.
Construction
The structural portions of the project were built by Weston & Sampson CMR, Inc. and the solar panels, inverters, metering and balance of electrical systems work provided by ACE Solar, Inc. The system is a fully functioning 10 kW solar array, completed with a rainwater management system and snow guards to provide a covered outdoor parking and equipment storage area. The 625-square foot solar canopy has a clear working height of over 14 feet while occupying less than three square feet of ground space. Construction was completed in February 2019.
Key Project Features
- New cost-effective design for a solar canopy system
- Engineering design of the canopy system
- Construction and installation of the canopy support system