Zinfra required a temporary site camera solution for an energy substation project in Craigieburn, Victoria. The primary goal was to capture long-term time-lapse footage that could be used for project documentation and future marketing, while also giving the project team a practical way to monitor site activity remotely.
The site presented several practical challenges. There was no mains power available for the camera locations, the perimeter fencing was high, and the camera positions needed to be elevated above the fence line to capture the substation build clearly. The setup also needed to remain stable over time so the footage would be suitable for a polished final project video.
Because the project was expected to run over an extended period, the system needed to be reliable, solar powered, and configured in a way that supported both day-to-day visibility and long-term visual content capture.
Hexagon Valley supplied and installed a custom solar powered 4G site camera setup using multiple 2K cameras positioned to capture the substation build and surrounding work areas.
To achieve the required viewing angle, the camera poles were extended to approximately 4.5 to 5 metres so they could see over the perimeter fencing. Additional mounting hardware, extension arms and stabilising arms were used to improve pole stability and help keep the time-lapse footage steady over the duration of the project.
The mounting approach was tailored to the site. One camera position used a steel and concrete base to avoid underground services, while another was concreted into the ground as a more semi-permanent setup for maximum stability.
The systems were powered by 90W solar panels and connected via 4G. Configuration was partially completed offsite to save time, with final setup completed onsite. Hexagon Valley also configured mobile access and provided onsite training for the site manager and project manager, with access then made available to the wider marketing team.
The result was a practical solar camera setup that gave Zinfra both remote site visibility and high-quality time-lapse capture for the Craigieburn substation project.
The cameras provided ongoing footage of the build phase and surrounding site activity, allowing the project team to review progress without needing to be onsite every day. At the same time, the system was positioned and stabilised with the future marketing outcome in mind, ensuring the footage would be strong enough to support a professional project video once the full build sequence is complete.
After around 12 months onsite, the project has already captured more than six months of time-lapse footage, with further footage continuing to build toward the final video outcome.
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