Mer Group, a Norwegian charging solutions company owned by Statkraft, has installed a 36.27 kW timber 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.
The site has 117 bifacial glass-glass modules, each rated at 310 W, installed by Austria-based Vivatro. The installer also handled system integration, including panel installation, inverters, transformer connection, and electrical work.
The spruce timber PV canopy structure covers 18 fast-charging points with a capacity of up to 400 kW.
Several design features of the PV canopy protect the site from wet weather. Sonnenkraft's spokesperson said Vivatro used overlapping dry glazing sealing technology to secure the panels, replacing conventional silicone sealants. This method offers weather protection and requires less maintenance.
The timber components were installed with at least 30 cm of space between the end grain and the water-bearing level, according to Austrian timber supplier Hasslacher Norica. Its 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 quick construction of the timber structure in four days, according to the company.
The MER electric-vehicle station project was not the first timber PV carport of its kind to be 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 fleet charging station in St. Veit an der Glan, Austria, and several charging station projects in the United Kingdom.
