Electricity + Control November 2019

ENERGY MANAGEMENT + ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Just more than two years ago, the first power was generated under the largest single rooftop solar power purchase agreement (PPA) in Africa, at Pick n Pay’s Longmeadow Distribution Centre near Johannesburg. Energy Partners Solar – a division of Energy Partners and part of the PSG group of companies – completed Phase 1 of this project, which would eventually amount to 2.4 MW of solar generation capacity. Key considerations in private power purchase agreements

at a glance

 The 2.4 MWp solar pv system at Pick n Pay’s LongmeadowDistribution Centre still sets multiple benchmarks for corporate and industrial solar power supply.  Any investment in solar power is a long-term commitment. In private powerpurchasecontracts, the efficient operation and maintenance of solar plant is crucial to performance and best handled by specialised O&M teams.

A part from its scale, the 2.4 MWp photovoltaic (PV) system at the distribution centre still sets multiple benchmarks in the rapidly growing corporate and industrial solar power supply industry in Africa. Manie de Waal, CEO of Energy Partners Solar, says that corporate and industrial PPAs with private service providers have become an important consideration for long-term business profitability in South Africa, as well as a way to reduce business risks in the shadow of irregular power supply and uncertainty around the future of the state-owned central grid. He adds that two years ago, corporate SA had a cautious approach to exploring alternative sources of power. “Today there is no time for caution – it’s time to take power back for the sake of our economy.” Some key facts about the solar PV system at the Longmeadow Distribution Centre system provide an idea of the scale and potential of this bold joint initiative, which was achieved without the need for capital investment from Pick n Pay. Energy Partners Solar designed, built and operates the PV system in its entirety. - 7 200 – number of solar modules - 14 800 – number of roof brackets - 111 km – cable used - 82 200 MWh – estimated power generation over 25 years - 79 700 tonnes CO 2 – equivalent offset of solar generation - 30 000 ha – equivalent mature forest in CO 2 offset. Key facts – solar PV at Pick n Pay’s Longmeadow Distribution Centre - 2 400 kWp – system size

As the Longmeadow system was contracted and built before November 2017, it was not restricted by current legislation which limits the system size of embedded generation to 1 MW. These restrictions would have halved the size of the Longmeadow system if it had not applied for a generation license from NERSA (the National Electricity Regulator of South Africa). De Waal says, “Considering recent announce- ments by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (regarding the application for generation licenses for 1 to 10 MW embedded generation systems), there seems to be more political will once again to encourage bold initiatives such as this.” In this regard, he says, many companies that were restricted in system size over the past two years have shown interest in starting the submission process to apply to Nersa, to enlarge their systems and unlock the full potential for on- site solar power generation and consumption. Reviewing the Longmeadow transaction, Henri van Eetveldt, Senior Solar and Storage Consultant

There are 7 200 solar modules in the 2.4 MWp PV system at Pick n Pay’s Longmeadow Distribution Centre.

Electricity + Control

NOVEMBER 2019

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