After a record-breaking summer of sunshine, the darker, colder winter months will come as a shock to the system for many constructions sites across the UK. Instead of wall-to-wall sunshine and dry, warm working conditions, sites will be faced with reduced lighting and increased demand for heating in welfare units. In addition, plant and equipment will have to work that bit harder to combat the effects of the elements, such as flooding and wind damage.

In these circumstances, it’s understandable that solar power may not be the first thing that comes to mind. After all, it’s the lack of sunshine that causes so many of the problems discussed above. Yet thanks to Think Hire’s smart solar technology, including solar panel generators and solar lighting, you can keep benefitting from the sun’s energy right through the winter months.

Powered by light

Contrary to popular belief, solar power cells don’t need direct sunlight to work; they just need daylight. Think Hire’s Eco Tower Light uses a solar panel generator to provide clean, free energy. In spring, summer and autumn, it can provide 8hrs of lighting every day, and even in the winter months it can provide 8hrs of lighting five days per week, which is more than enough for most sites.

8hrs of solar powered lighting can provide all the illumination you need for early starts and late finishes. It can also provide additional project-specific lighting during dull periods, keeping your workforce safe and productive throughout their shift.

Warmed by the sun

Solar panel generators are also available on Think Hire’s Eco Welfare Units. These can provide free solar energy to power heating for cold workers on their breaks, as well as powering lighting, drying rooms and even kettles and microwaves. Once again, these are just as effective in the winter as they are in summer, with battery units collecting solar power all day, so that it’s always available at the flick of a switch when you need it.

Think Hire’s Eco Welfare Units have solar panel generators built into their structure, but you can also add extra power from large scale solar panel generators. Think Hire’s innovative Solartainer combines solar panel generators with traditional LPG generators to deliver a dependable hybrid power source that will significantly reduce your site fuel bills.

Extra power when you need it

Of course, it’s not just your team that will be working harder in the winter months; the demands on your equipment will increase too. Draining flooded areas, repairing mudslides and landslips, and maintaining the site in the worst of conditions will add significantly to the demands on your plant. With Think Hire, you can still enjoy the cost savings and the environmental benefits of solar panel generators even as your workload increases.

Think Hire’s charging points for electric vehicles and plant can deliver the power you need exactly where you need it. This has the added benefit that plant does not need to move around the site to recharge, which can often make storm damage worse as wheel ruts and tracks become waterlogged.

Emergency power

Think Hire can even keep the lights on in the worst of winter, when storms bring powerlines down and your site is effectively blacked out. Our portable battery powered generators, such as the SiteGrid X3 and X45, can run essential lighting and welfare services in almost any circumstances, reducing storm disruption and keeping everyone safe.

To find out more about how Think Hire can help your site prepare for winter, while still enjoying lower costs and a lower environmental impact, get in touch with our team today. With our state-of-the-art solar panel generators, you can make the best of the winter sun, and keep your workforce safe and productive, for less.