5 Things to Consider when Installing Solar Gate Openers

Manually opening your gates when you arrive at work or at home can be a time-consuming and inconvenient process. In the age of smart phones and wireless technology, why wouldn’t you automate a task to save you time and energy?

Technology in gate automation has advanced greatly over the past two decades. Solar gate openers are currently gaining popularity because of the numerous advantages that they have to offer. There are a number of benefits of using solar to power your gates; the biggest being that the power used is generated for free and is endlessly environmentally-friendly.

Those who are planning to utilise this technology should be well informed before making the switch; there are several considerations that must be made when installing a solar gate opener and here are some of them:

1. The type of gate you use. Different types of gates are used across various industries today. With almost infinite combinations of swinging gates, sliding gates, light or heavy-duty, steel or aluminium  depending on the industry or home; the gate’s solar powered opener can be custom-made to meet the user’s operational needs.

2. The area of installation. Solar panels should be installed in an area where they can get maximum sunlight. Such areas should be away from tall buildings and trees that can cover or cast shadows on the solar panels most of the day. Placing these devices in a favourable position free from these obstructions allows them to absorb and store as much solar power as possible. Solar also offers a battery back-up feature that render them usable when the main power supply fails.

3. The gate’s workload. This factor must be determined to figure out the right size solar panel necessary for continuous operations. The size of the solar panels needed largely depends on the amount of work that the gate has to handle on a daily basis. The more it is used, the more energy is needed and the bigger the panel must be. A gate’s number of opening and closing cycles vary widely between industries. It is recommended to choose products that are rated with the most number of cycles and are longer lasting, especially for heavy-duty gates.

4. The cost. Purchasing solar gate openers is a form of investment for businesses. One must be wise when buying to make sure that the product is worth the investment. The cost of installation is also another factor to consider. While it may seem more economical to choose the lowest priced product or lowest installation rates, it is important to note that the cheapest option may not always be the best.

5. The product’s quality. When it comes to equipment of any kind, the quality should never be compromised by the cost. High quality products are proven to give optimum performance and last much longer. In the long run, high quality products can save businesses from hefty repair costs and purchasing new products to replace faulty ones.

To make the best choices and investments in solar gate openers, choose the company that has specialised in these advanced access solutions for more than 30 years, choose Rotech. We are proud providers of high quality gate openers and gate automation solutions like turnstiles and boom gates. Need your equipment customised? No problem! We specialise in customised solutions. We can build systems to meet specific commercial and industrial requirements. Give us a call and let us know how we can help. Get the security and convenience you need only from Rotech.