Brooklyn, New York-based Urban Energy Inc. has sourced a series of Reid Lifting gantry cranes from FAD Equipment Store for clean energy construction.

The company, which installs solar systems across the city, uses Porta-Gantry cranes as they offer the perfect combination of lightweight, required headroom, and ease of assembly to allow it to improve efficiency around installations on properties of all types.

FAD Equipment Store stocks six Porta-Gantry models in a capacity range covering 880 lbs. to 11,000 lbs. and Small, Intermediate, Tall, and Rapide versions. Urban Energy’s fleet includes multiple 4,400-lb. capacity TC models, with adjustable heights reaching 19’ 1”.

Will Sherer, construction manager at Urban Energy, said: “We searched high and low for a product that would meet our needs, and after a series of disappointments from other companies we stumbled upon the Porta-Gantry. It is an incredible balance of lightweight and exceptional working height, allowing us to greatly increase our efficiency through reduced set-up time, ease of handling, and overall reduction of steps.”

The Porta-Gantry range has four different height frames—all adjustable—and several beam lengths, as well as working load limits. Practically, this means that multiple variations are available at each capacity. Assembly is easy and can be completed within approx. 15 minutes without the aid of overhead lifting devices—a key factor in many applications. Due to portability and ease of assembly, the products are often used as a safer alternative to a tripod in confined spaces. The range is also one, two, or three-person ANSI-compliant for fall arrest.

Sherer added: “Our team has been delighted with the ease of set-up and breakdown of the Porta-Gantry, and it continues to improve our processes through its versatility. The gantries have allowed us such a degree of flexibility in our install process that we’ve been able to make significant leaps in the design of our product that we didn’t think would be possible—and frankly weren’t with other solutions on the market. This has become the first and only phone call I make when it comes to mobile lifting solutions.”

Urban Energy’s talented, in-house construction firm specializes in custom-designed solutions for the urban solar market, to deliver long-living solar systems for buildings. Sherer explained that it makes it easy for property owners and investors to participate in New York’s lucrative community solar initiative to combat climate change and create a clean-energy future.

The Porta-Gantry and Porta-Gantry Rapide aluminum gantries are designed for easy transport, rapid assembly, and safe use. Customers use these lightweight, portable, gantries in mill righting, civil construction, and mining, where increased utilization of such lightweight cranes has been seen over some time. However, use is also widespread in the renewable energy, water and wastewater, oil and gas, height safety and rescue, automotive, marine, nuclear, and utilities sectors.

• Begin a lifting, material handling, safety, or load monitoring product purchase today at www.fadequipmentstore.com.

Caption: Urban Energy’s fleet includes multiple 4,400-lb. capacity TC models, with adjustable heights reaching 19’ 1”.

Caption: ‘Our team has been delighted with the ease of set-up and breakdown of the Porta-Gantry’ — Will Sherer, Urban Energy.

Caption: Urban Energy uses the cranes to install solar systems across New York.

Editorial contact: Richard Howes, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, rich@fadequipmentstore.com