SA Affordable Housing September - October 2019 // ISSUE: 78 | Page 23

SOLAR POWER
FEATURE
SOLAR POWER
FEATURE
South Africa is the largest generator of solar energy in Africa.
which would also assist in unlocking financial support.
“The PV GreenCard is being developed by the South
African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) 1 in
partnership with the German Solar Association and the
German International Cooperation. The PV GreenCard will
be a national, standardised hand-over or ‘as built’ report
for rooftop PV installations, aimed at improving the safety
and quality of installations. It will provide comprehensive
documentation of the PV system, including information on
components used and personal data of the owner, and will
be a voluntary service from the installer that will serve as
a guideline to both the installer and the customer on how
to secure a high standard of PV system operation. The aim
is for the PV GreenCard to be issued with every small-scale
solar PV installation up to 100 kWp by suitable qualified
installers,” adds Bredenkamp.
CONCLUSION
The installation and/or inclusion of solar PV in the
construction of affordable housing, certainly is a step in the
right direction in the fight to conserve natural resources, save
money on utilities and combat the negative effects of climate
change. The technology has come a long way in terms of
quality, and the prices of these technologies have reduced
significantly over the past 3 to 5 years.
Most of the world’s solar modules are made from crystalline
silicon (or sand in its basic form). As greater quantities of solar
modules are produced worldwide at greater efficiencies, the
cost of solar PV keeps becoming more competitive. PV, as
an electricity generation source, is sustainable, indefinitely
renewable and environmentally friendly.
However, in this market, access to capital for the initial cost
of the technology may present a barrier and it is therefore
essential that financial institutions consider developing
fit-for-purpose or ‘customised’ financing packages for the
purchase of these technologies. Once installed, the savings
accrued on the municipal electricity bill because of receiving
energy from the sun, can be used to pay-off such a loan,
especially since most of these systems are designed to last
anything from 10 to 20 years,” concludes Bredenkamp.
1 https://www.pvgreencard.co.za
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019
21
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019
21