Power-up - Royal Wolf's Site Hub Receives Green Makeover

A year after it was first launched in the Australian market, Royal Wolf’s Site Hub is undergoing an innovative green transformation.

The purpose-built mobile site building, which is made from a 40’ Royal Wolf container, has been designed as an all-in-one office, lunchroom, bathroom and storage facility for use in remote locations.

A new solar system

Like the original Site Hub, the latest iteration also features a stainless-steel kitchenette, fridge, hot water system, toilet and hand-wash basin, and security bars.

The difference, however, lies in its energy supply. Instead of being powered by a hybrid battery and diesel generator, the new Site Hub will be completely solar-operated.

“So, similar to a hybrid car, the previous Site Hub had a hybrid energy supply,” General Manager of Engineering Dale Garson explains. “What we did was develop an off-grid solution, so it’s totally solar powered.”

In order to make the solar-powered Site Hubs a reality, Dale said the electrical system inside the Site Hub’s modified shipping containers had to be optimised. For example, the voltage was changed and inverters were added so appliances such as microwaves could be used. The power demands from customers were also taken into consideration.

Dale attributes the success of the solar-powered Site Hub to Project Supervisor of Modifications Millan Borovina, who received a Royal Wolf award for his innovation and dedication to the project.

The new solar-powered Site Hub is currently under construction and is expected to be rolled out by the end of the year.

Rave reviews

In the meantime, customers are providing plenty of positive feedback on the current Site Hub fleet.

“They’re well received by the customers because they’re a robust, self-contained one-stop shop,” says Dale.

“It means another level of infrastructure – like another Porta Potti, another generator or another place to keep or charge your phone – is not required. There's space to keep employees’ things safe and secure, and a lunchroom that’s out of the weather.

“So it’s really a customer be-all, end-all, do-all solution for those remote sites.”

The Site Hubs are the ideal solution for road construction and remote development sites, where there’s no power or water supply nearby, or on early works sites, when there’s a construction team deployed but no facilities available.

To date, they have been used on sites from Surry Hills in Sydney to as far as Mareeba in Far North Queensland.

Other features

Another new feature of the Site Hub is the addition of removable partitions, which allow the container to be reconfigured to suit the customer’s needs. This added flexibility allows for more space in the lunchroom, if required. Or, by leaving the partitions in place, the arrangement allows for a supervisor’s office and communal lunchroom or mess facility.

Another feature that Dale says has proven popular is how secure it is. “Being a container rather than a regular portable building, it’s secure, particularly on a remote site where no there’s no supervision or surveillance,” he explains.

It is also robust, simple to transport, and can be positioned in place quickly and easily, so it’s immediately ready for use.

There are currently six Site Hubs available to hire, while the additional six solar-powered Site Hubs will be ready for hire by the end of this year.

For more information about our complete range of shipping containers and worksite facilities solutions, visit your nearest branch, email [email protected], or call our friendly team of experts at 1800 UR HIRE.