Play Mart recently broke ground for a more than $3 million expansion project in Pulaski County, Kentucky, that will add equipment, personnel and materials to meet the growing demands of this global playground manufacturer. This expansion features a 252-kW solar project powered by 20 dual-axis trackers from Oregon-based Stracker Solar, making Play Mart one of Kentucky’s first net-zero manufacturing facilities. These trackers will provide clean energy for the facility, shade in the parking lot, lighting and power charging stations for electric vehicles.

Play Mart is a family-owned industry leader in playground and outdoor early childhood play products. The 43,200-square-foot expansion will bring the manufacturer’s total operating space to over 103,000 square feet. The increase will allow additional equipment, personnel, and materials to meet growing customer demand and fulfill contracts for child development centers at military bases worldwide.

“We have made it a priority to invest in alternative energy. We did our homework and believe the Stracker System is the way of the future, even more so that of flat, static roof panels,” says Rebecca Beach, founder and CEO of Play Mart. “We know our investment will give us ‘energy security’ for the future. Why wouldn’t every manufacturing plant in Kentucky want the freedom to produce their own energy from the sun?”

The Stracker systems are manufactured in the United States. The steel structures have a 120-mph wind rating, and can be remotely monitored and controlled. The Stracker platform is equipped with enterprise control and cloud monitoring systems, which have diagnostics and provide visibility into its operation. The high-elevation pole design keeps the PV arrays above the surrounding trees and typical dust trails, to reduce panel cleaning. Each system is equipped with sensors to detect and prepare for harsh weather and strong winds.

“We are thrilled to partner with Play Mart as pioneers in renewable energy-based manufacturing operations in Kentucky,” said Hadi Hajimiri, CEO of Stracker Solar. “Our goal is to expand solar energy in Kentucky with elevated sun tracking systems, which we believe are the future of distributed energy generation. Strackers are addressing the primary bottleneck in solar energy adoption: the availability of space.”

News item from Stracker Solar