-Levi Bell, Project Manager, Guild & Spence Electrical, New Zealand
The McIndoe Clinic is a purpose-built consultation and day surgery facility for oral and maxillofacial surgery in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand. The 330-square-metre, one and a half-story building includes a reception area, two maxillofacial surgery rooms, an ENT surgery room, a recovery room, three consultation rooms, as well as staff and administrative offices.
The Bay of Plenty region often experiences power outages. The McIndoe Clinic wished to generate enough power to provide two hours of grid-free electricity, which would cover potential power outages during surgery.
Contractor, Guild & Spence Electrical was brought on to install a 29.5-kilowatt rooftop solar array on the facility’s existing trapezoidal painted metal roof to supplement the power consumption of the facility and provide uninterrupted power in case of power cuts.
Guild & Spence selected the S-5! PVKIT rail-less, direct- attach, solar mounting solution paired with the RibBracket IV for the clinic’s 72-panel solar array.
The S-5! system allowed for the maximum number of solar panels due to its flexible module placement ability via all trapezoidal ribs at every 190mm centres, instead of just the roof purlins as with railed installations. This flexibility also allowed the installer to manoeuvre around various roof obstacles. He reported the installation took about half of the time compared to rails and allowed him to rearrange the panels freestyle on the spot.
Additionally, on any project by the sea, an installer prefers to use anodised aluminium and stainless-steel components to combat corrosion and the effects of salt air. S-5! uses non-corrosive materials made from high-tensile aluminium and A2-70 stainless steel that are salt-fog corrosion tested for metallurgical compatibility in accordance with ASTM B117 standards.
Furthermore, the logistical challenge of delivery to the island was eliminated because the entire solar mounting solution could easily be transported in a single carton along with all tools required for installation. (The system is 85% less weight and 90% less volume of rail components).
The McIndoe Clinic was able to achieve its energy goals with a rail-less solar mounting solution that saved them time and money and gave them confidence that there wouldn’t be any further disruptions to the surgical practice.
• Cut mounting material costs in half, including freight costs
• Cut installation costs in half by eliminating the assembly and installation required by traditional racking
• Significantly reduced the cost and complexity of transporting mounting materials to the site
• Minimised the amount of time workers must spend on a steep roof
• Improved system aesthetics
• Eliminated the risk of a voided roof manufacturer warranty―no damage
• Reduced added dead load to the building structure. The PVKIT is 85% lighter than rails, while providing 25% better load distribution.
