African Mining July - August 2019 | Page 46

Going solo with solar The relentless hammering that South Africans endured during the recent phase of stage 4 load shedding has local businesses eyeing solar photovoltaic (PV) installations as a potential way to safeguard business continuity in the face of Eskom’s power supply issues. Unfortunately, solar on its own doesn’t protect against load-shedding without the inclusion of substantial battery storage and few business owners are in a position to fund the capital expenditure required just yet. But what if there were no other options and going off the grid with solar was already an absolute necessity? An innovative new urban complex on the outskirts of Johannesburg’s CBD will soon have solar energy as its primary source of power – and the lessons learned there may prove invaluable. Victoria Yards is an urban development in Lorentzville, a suburb that is currently undergoing community-centred rejuvenation by developers who are recognising its potential as an inner-city ‘oasis’. Originally a cluster of derelict industrial buildings, Victoria Yards has been developed into a sustainable complex that houses an eclectic mix of designers, artists and restaurants. The developers include Group 44, the team behind the trendy (and very popular) 44 Stanley development in Milpark. Victoria Yards has thus been forced to run a diesel generator as its sole source of power, at huge expense, for an extended period. In response, Group 44 has called in SolarSaver, an innovative solar solutions group backed by the Pembani-Remgro Infrastructure Fund. “We were very excited to be given the opportunity to work with Victoria Yards as it is such a unique property. In response to their challenges, we have designed a solar-battery hybrid system that will cover all of the site’s core electricity requirements,” says Stuart Batchelor, technical director at SolarSaver. “The system will not only provide Victoria Yards with a stable electricity supply, but will also extend the development’s eco-friendly footprint, a green effort that already includes community vegetable gardens, recycling plants and organic composting heaps,” he adds. Currently, solar energy works well for many businesses via a grid-tied solution that focuses on daytime power generation, in an effort to reduce monthly electricity costs. But Victoria Yards has no connection to the grid, so a grid-tied solution is not feasible. “Our comprehensive solution includes 414 solar modules and a 100kW battery inverter tied to 200kWh of battery storage. This system will be capable of taking the site completely off the grid, providing Victoria Yards with silent and sustainable electricity on a 24/7 basis,” explains Batchelor. b Reliable power supply, however, has been a struggle for the Victoria Yards development from the outset. The history of the site, with numerous different stands, vandalised systems, and a historic dispute with the Council over the “estimated” value of arrears supply has made it difficult for the development to secure a reliable grid connection from City Power. This was in addition to load shedding and system failures in the area. 44 AFRICAN MINING JULY - AUGUST 2019 www.africanmining.co.za