One of South Africa’s most famous holiday resort in the North West, Sun City, has taken its name to heart and installed a R16-million solar plant to reduce electricity consumption and to relieve the national grid.
Located along the border of the Pilanesberg National Park, with many sunny days throughout the year, the grid-tied solar photovoltaic system rated at 1.4megawatts peak, reducing electricity consumption from national grid to the equivalent of up to 329 average-sized South African households.
This massive clean energy project will also extend to local communities around the resort that feed off the same supply.
"The system is made up of 2584 solar panels at 560W each, installed on the roof
National Energy Engineer at Tsebo Energy Solutions, TM Lesetla installed the system.
He said these panels would be married into Sun City’s internal electrical network to feed the power produced on the roof to the points of delivery.
“Sun City is like a little town on its own and the solar capacity is part of the energy mix,” he said.
The installed plant will displace an equivalent of 2,367,571kWh per annum, with the highest levels of energy production expected in nine out of the 12 months, Sun City said.
“This is an equivalent of what 329 average-sized South African households consume over a year,” said Sun City General Manager, Brett Hoppé.
“On good sunshine days, which will be most days, the facility will free up an equivalent of 14% of Sun City’s electrical demand from the national utility supplier Eskom, which will be to the benefit of the grid in the vicinity, and by extension local communities that feed off the same supply.”
From a sustainability perspective, the solar plant will see Sun City will reduce its annual CO2 equivalent emissions by an estimated 2,510 tons per annum, a positive contribution to mitigate against climate change into the future.
“This is one of the many initiatives that Sun City in particular, and Sun international, are rolling out to reduce energy use both from a supply and demand perspective. Efficient lighting, HVAC retrofits and reconfigurations, water-heating and a gradual move to renewables all form part of the plan,” said Hoppé.
The group said the investment would pay for itself within five years, driven by above-average annual electricity price escalations.
The plant has an expected lifespan of beyond 25 years when coupled with a well-planned preventative maintenance regime.
The Sun City resort is world-famous for its hotels, golf courses, casino and wide choice of leisure and entertainment facilities.
Current Affairs