04.12.2017

Solar Powered Gate Gives University Parking Control

The Chancellor’s parking area at a large university had to be relocated for a year due to construction. The facilities team at the university needed to limit the number of vehicles entering and parking in the temporary area. They didn’t want to spend a fortune on a temporary solution, nor did they want to inconvenience drivers by implementing a temporary parking area.

PROBLEM

The situation was complex due to many constraints with the project. For example, the type of gate was limited due to the parking area itself and the lack of electrical wiring in the vicinity. Because adding electrical wiring would have added $8,000 to $10,000 to the project cost, it was outside the scope of consideration.

SOLUTION

DH Pace came up with a unique recommendation to include solar power instead of electric. Using solar as the power source allowed the Pace team to incorporate an electric swing arm solution so university officials did not need to get out of their vehicles to operate the gate manually. The gate is operated by a hand-held remote, similar to a garage remote, which gave officials easy access. The end result was the most cost effective option for the University.

CONCLUSION

Sometimes project constraints can lead to an environmentally-friendly alternative. In this example, a unique solar operator was the best solution for our customers and their project.