The public hospital of Ravenna installs 4 solar panel carports by Giulio Barbieri S.r.l. to make up a total of 200 kW of energy for self-consumption.
We are currently in the middle of a transition towards renewable energy sources, carried out mainly by forward-thinking companies that have understood the real advantages of installing a photovoltaic system. However, the industrial sector is not the only one who is carrying this change forward.
A growing number of municipalities are proving virtuous and are ready to choose energy supply systems capable of significantly reducing public spending. This is the case of the Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale (Local Health Unit) of Romagna, which has installed 4 solar panel carports covering more than 100 parking spaces at the Santa Maria delle Croci Hospital in Ravenna and thus producing a total of 200 kW for self-consumption.
The contract was won by Tecno Allarmi Sistemi S.r.l. Ravenna, a company that boasts over twenty years of experience in design and implementation of electronic security systems, particularly in the field of healthcare. The company has numerous orders involving hospital facilities, such as the S. Maria Nuova Hospital of Reggio Emilia, “Ospedale Maggiore” of Bologna, the Bellaria Hospital, the Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic of Bologna, and many others.
As is often the case, hospitals are equipped with large car parks to accommodate their customers’ cars. By installing photovoltaic carports, these spaces can easily be converted into sources of renewable energy.
The solar panel carports project
“Installing of a photovoltaic system on a canopy has several advantages over a system on the roof. In fact, the operations of monitoring, maintenance, and cleaning of the panels – essential to ensure maximum efficiency – are much easier to perform because the panels are within reach. Furthermore, the panels receive plenty of ventilation – an ideal condition for their proper operation. And finally, you don’t run the risk of damaging the waterproofing layers of the roof while securing the panel supports.
For these reasons, it was decided to install photovoltaic carports”, explains Michele Spedaluzzi, technical director of the Ravenna-based company. “In the specific case of a hospital like this one, it is vital that the car park is free and available, which is why we couldn’t obstruct these spaces by setting up a construction site.
As a result, we decided to involve in this project the Giulio Barbieri S.r.l. company from Ferrara – the solar panel carports they produce are equipped with reinforced concrete bases that go directly in the ground without requiring the construction of foundations. In this way, we were able to install two carports at a time, without stopping the customers from using the parking lot, and the whole project was carried out without any complications in just 3 weeks.
As I mentioned already, these structures are made of aluminium and, therefore, they are more expensive than iron structures. However, we chose them because aluminium naturally produces a protective oxide and does not require expensive and troublesome maintenance”.
