Cape Town - Taxi ranks are known for generating noise, congestion and grime – not electricity. But the taxi rank in Wallacedene, Cape Town, produces its own power, and operates almost independently of Eskom’s power grid.
The facility, which cost the City of Cape Town R25-million to construct, produces its own electricity with a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panel system.
Reserve solar energy is stored in 24 batteries so that the lights will still come on at night or on cloudy days.
Brett Herron, mayoral committee member for transport, said the taxi rank had set the benchmark for future public transport facilities countrywide, and had since the beginning of August only used one hour’s worth of electricity from Eskom.
The structure has been hailed as South Africa’s first “green” taxi rank.
Everything at the facility, including the electronic gates, is powered by the PV system.
The capital cost of the solar installation will reportedly be recovered within six to 10 years in monthly energy cost savings.
The rank is also able to meet its own water needs, and the roof has been designed to harvest rainwater which can be stored in an underground tank system.
This water can be pumped to the washing bays, to be used to clean the taxis.
Up to 70 percent of the water used is also recycled.
Cape Argus