Smart Commercial Solar has teamed with Sydney-based solar carpark manufacturer Canyon Solar to install a 365 kW car shade structure at West Illawarra Leagues Club on the New South Wales South Coast.
The project includes three waterproof solar shade structures featuring Canyon’s prefabricated system with a total of 365 kW of solar capacity. In addition, the install includes four 22 kW electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and the new canopy provides covered parking for 120 vehicles.
Combined with the club’s existing 225 kW rooftop PV system, Wests Illawarra now has a 590 kW PV plant capable of producing 30% of the club’s electricity needs onsite.
Matt Demos, Strategic Leader for Facilities, Projects at Wests Illawarra said the solar plant will significantly reduce reliance on the grid, lower operational costs, and generate savings to reinvest into the community.
“This project is a game-changer for us and the broader industry,” he said. “We hope this inspires other organisations to think beyond traditional rooftop solar and embrace large-scale sustainability solutions.”
Demos said the biggest challenge with the project was minimising the inconvenience for club visitors and trying to maintain as many parking spots as possible throughout the construction period.
Sydney-headquartered Smart Commercial said Canyon’s prefabricated option had ensured minimal disruption and drastically reduced on-site construction time, with the project completed in less than a month, noting that this is three times faster than a traditional solar car shade installation.
Image: Smart Commercial Solar
Canyon’s modular solar shade structure is built around individual prefabricated pods, each measuring 7.5 m long and 2.6 m wide and housing bifacial solar panels with two pods combined to create a single unit. The pods and steel support structures are pre-assembled in the factory and delivered to site where the pods are lifted into place atop prefabricated columns and rafters. The Wests Illawarra install comprises 36 individual pods.
“Prefabrication is a game-changer for large-scale solar infrastructure,” Canyon founder and Chief Executive Officer Will Beaumont said.
“By manufacturing our structures offsite, we ensure precision engineering, reduce construction time, and minimise disruption to the site. Seeing Wests Illawarra’s car park transform in record time is a testament to how efficient and effective this approach is.”
Smart Commercial Project Lead Anastasi Kotoros said the project showcases how sustainability and customer experience can go hand in hand.
“By integrating a high-quality, modular solar car shade with EV charging and waterproof walkways, we delivered a truly custom solution that meets both operational and environmental goals,” he said.
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