Member Case Studies

Project Snapshot

As one of New Zealand’s newest and fastest-growing shopping centres, Tauranga Crossing is forging a path in sustainable development.

Endless Energy have delivered a custom solar installation featuring a total of 714 flat and vertically mounted panels, engineered in collaboration with Gamcorp and YEH Renewables.

Over just three months, the installation was delivered in close collaboration with Yariv Edery from YEH Renewables. The concept and system design was developed by Yariv, whose forward-thinking approach and technical guidance shaped the entire project.

Endless Energy’s role was to bring Yariv’s design to life navigating the challenges of a vertical panel layout and delivering a clean, seamless installation from start to finish.

Project Purpose

Tauranga Crossing is committed to sustainability and reducing its environmental footprint as part of its “Better for the Future” ethos.

By installing solar panels, the centre aimed to:

Power a significant portion of its electricity demand with clean/renewable energy, reducing reliance on grid-supplied, fossil-derived power.

Lower ongoing energy costs for the centre.

Support Tauranga Crossing’s sustainability commitments and visibly demonstrate leadership in environmental responsibility to its community and shoppers.

Aerial view of a large, two-story commercial building (Farmers store at Tauranga Crossing) featuring a solar array on its flat roof and some vertical solar panel mounting visible on the upper exterior wall, adjacent to the roofline.

Engineering & Installation Challenges

One of the main challenges for this project was that the solar panels needed to be mounted vertically (i.e. on vertical cladding rather than solely on a conventional pitched or flat roof). Vertical mounting often introduces structural, wind-load and shading considerations.

Solutions

Thanks to detailed engineering and drawings provided by Gamcorp and YEH Renewables, the installation proceeded smoothly. The precision in planning made what might have been a complex installation appear almost seamless.

Endless Energy coordinated closely with Tauranga Crossing’s development team to ensure integration with ongoing construction/expansion works, aligning solar installation without disrupting centre operations or the customer experience.

Financial & Environmental Impact

Financial savings: While exact figures depend on retail electricity costs, this scale of renewable generation would likely result in savings in the order of hundreds of thousands of NZD per year – reducing operating costs, improving long-term sustainability margins and offsetting a significant portion of the centre’s electricity spend.

Carbon reduction: The system is expected to contribute significant clean energy to the centre each year, with a carbon reduction of around 42.4 tonnes of CO₂ annually, the equivalent to planting ~1,800 trees grown to maturity or avoiding ~170,000 km of car travel annually.

Project Outcomes & Significance

Delivered a high-impact solar system that aligns with Tauranga Crossing’s sustainability ambitions.

Demonstrated that retail centres can successfully integrate large-scale solar, including vertical panel mounting, with proper planning.

Enabled Tauranga Crossing to reduce its carbon footprint and energy costs, while offering a visible sustainability message to shoppers, tenants and the community.

Helped reinforce Tauranga Crossing’s brand as a forward-thinking, environmentally responsible retail hub in the Bay of Plenty region.

Why This Project Matters to Endless Energy

This installation stands as a demonstration of Endless Energy’s capability to:

Design and deliver large-scale solar for commercial retail environments.

Work with complex architectural demands (vertical cladding).

Liaise effectively with developers, engineers and construction teams to deliver performance without compromising on design, safety or client operations.

This project shows that solar is not just for roofs. With the right partners and design, solar can be integrated into facade cladding, enabling significant emissions reduction and cost savings even on complex building structures.