At Shannon Airport, engineering had to work around aviation.
HTR Solar supported the delivery of the 1.2MW ground-mounted solar PV farm, providing the design, manufacture and installation of our S4.1 2P mounting system with driven pile foundations.
This was not a conventional solar site. The array sits within a live airport environment, positioned between four operational taxiways, where every part of the design had to consider not only structural performance, but also aircraft movement, safety and operational continuity.
Jet blast was one of the key design considerations. Dedicated studies were carried out to understand the forces created as aircraft manoeuvred along the surrounding taxiways. The results directly influenced the final layout, leading to the removal of two rows and the relocation of selected perimeter tables.
Wind loading also required particular attention. Enhanced wind-speed allowances set by the airport authorities and technical advisers were incorporated into our structural design, ensuring the mounting system could perform reliably within this demanding environment.
For HTR Solar, this project is a strong example of what good solar engineering should be: understanding the site, responding to real-world constraints and designing the structure around them.
The result is a mounting system engineered not just for the solar modules above it, but for the unique environment around it — supporting renewable energy generation within one of Ireland’s busiest aviation settings.
