Article: Xpanner launches Shake-Out for GNSS-guided solar pile distribution

Published: July 31, 2026 | Equipment Journal

Xpanner has introduced Shake-Out, a GNSS-guided pile distribution application designed for utility-scale solar projects. Built for compact track loaders and skid steers, Shake-Out replaces manual survey marking and pin hunting with real-time, on-screen guidance, enabling crews to place piles accurately without a dedicated marking team.

Shake-Out addresses several long-standing bottlenecks in solar pile distribution. Survey pins can be difficult to locate or may be missing, while operators traditionally calculate bundle positions, pile counts and colours manually. Progress is also often tracked through phone calls, spreadsheets and end-of-day reports. With Shake-Out, operators follow GNSS-guided target points using visual and audio cues, while configurable distance and angle tolerances allow placement accuracy to be tailored to each project.

The system connects field operations directly to Xpanner Connect. Pile locations, counts and progress are logged in real time, giving project teams live visibility into piles placed versus plan and progress by block, row and pile type. As a brand-agnostic retrofit, Shake-Out can be deployed across mixed equipment fleets with quick mounting and simple calibration, helping contractors improve productivity, accuracy and project visibility without replacing their existing machines.