Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa September/October 2013 | Page 11

Belgotex Floorcoverings:
Solar Panel Installation
The largest roof-mounted solar power
system in SA installed by Belgotex
Installation of 12,000m2 (1.2 hectares) of
photovoltaic (PV) solar panels commenced
at the Belgotex factory in Pietermaritzburg,
Kwa-Zulu Natal in July and is expected to
generate around one megawatt per hour
of electricity.
The latest initiative in the company’s
ongoing ‘Green Journey’; the project is
intended to reduce their reliance on the
national electricity supplier and move
them towards sustainable energy sources.
Solar energy is considered the cleanest,
most viable alternative to fossil-based
fuels and plays an important role in
decarbonising the global economy. Over
four thousand solar modules – equivalent
to one and half rugby fields - will be
installed on Belgotex’s 100,000m2 factory
roof tops at a cost of R17mn, providing
about 5% of the giant’s annual energy
requirement. The daily energy generated
is estimated to be sufficient to power 700
average households, with an expected
five- to seven- year payback.
With
increasing
petroleum/coal
prices, peak load penalties for Large
Power Users and a 10% annual increase
for utilities projected by Eskom, selfgenerated solar power has obvious

advantages for both operational costs and
environmental management.
PV panels are active solar systems that
utilise supply-side technology to generate
alternative energy, whereas passive solar
systems, for example, using natural sunlight
for heating, merely reduce the demand.
Multi-crystalline solar panels harness
the sun’s energy during daylight hours,
converting sunlight into electricity through
the photo-electric effect, a process similar
to photosynthesis in plants.
The low maintenance requirements,
autonomous operation and a long life
expectancy make solar power systems ideal
for on-site renewable power generation.
Belgotex boasts enough north-facing roof

surface to cover 50,000m2, with plans to
roll-out a second and possibly third phase
over the next 5 years to meet their own
requirements. This would eventually enable
to the company (once legislation changes),
to feed power back into the national grid
by selling their excess electricity back
to Eskom during weekends, shutdown
periods or power outages.
The move is also expected to reduce
the company’s future Carbon Tax liability
by between 5 – 10% due to the 1,386 tons
of CO2 emissions saved each year from not
having to rely on coal-produced electricity.
www.belgotexfloorcoverings.com
Call 033 897 7500 or CT: 021 763 6900 or
JHB: 011 380 9300

A FUTURE OF POSSIBILITIES ON A GREENER HORIZON
AT AFRISAM, WE DON’T JUST CONTRIBUTE TO ECO-FRIENDLY STRUCTURES THROUGH
OUR LOW CO2 ADVANCED COMPOSITE CEMENT, WE CREATE SUSTAINABLE POSSIBILITIES.
Take our work on the construction of the Standard Bank Green Building. This eleven-storey,
five-basement green giant not only adheres to the Green Building Council guidelines but excels
at energy and resource efficiency - earning it a well deserved 5 Green Star SA rating.

www.afrisam.co.za
With the planet as one of our core values, we assess the carbon footprint of each and every one of
our operations and products while actively striving to drive down our impact on the environment.

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