Sparks Electrical News November 2018

STANDBY AND EMERGENCY POWER

14

RENEWABLE ENERGY TO POWER SUPER-REGIONAL MALL

its overall Carbon footprint - another signifi- cant proof point in our sustainability journey,” says Michael Clampett, Head of Retail Asset Management at Attacq The resulting reduction in traditional elec- tricity consumption will alleviate pressure on the National Power Grid, allowing for greater available capacity to support the substantial local economic growth currently experienced in the Waterfall area. In addition to ensuring that the Mall reduces its carbon footprint, the project also created temporary employment for 50 people and full-time jobs for two fur- ther workers. Atterbury Property Group, the developer of Mall of Africa played an integral role in the installation of the solar PV system. James Ehlers, Managing Director of Atterbury, stated that the company had long ago realised the importance of integrating solar-smart solu- tions into its buildings. “This solar PV system is just one of many that we will be installing across our portfolio”, said James. Jaco Botha, Chief Executive Officer, Solar- eff added, “This is a ground-breaking project

MALL OF AFRICA, right in the heart of Waterfall City, is set to reveal a world first in integrated renewable energy systems. This record-breaking project is not only the largest rooftop solar PV system of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and 10 th worldwide, but, as far as can be established, the system is also the world’s largest integrated rooftop PV/Diesel hybrid solution. The 4755 kWp installation covers most of the available mall roof space, an area of approximately 45 000m²/4.5 ha and the energy generated will be used to power its daily operations. “In the month that saw South Africa’s gov- ernment launch an Integrated Resource Plan with a clear prioritisation of renewable energy as the path to our country’s energy security, we are thrilled to be announcing our own innova- tion in renewable energy generation. Attacq is well known for its focus on sustainable build- ing, especially in its flagship Waterfall devel- opment. This project will see the mall produce sufficient power to support its day-to-day electricity requirements while also decreasing

plementation represent: • 8034 tons of CO 2 saved annually. • 4394.36 tons of coal saved annually. • 157 less coal trucks on the road per year (reducing their additional Carbon footprint).

for South Africa’s solar PV industry and is estimated to be able to produce 7 800 MWh annually. Solareff and Attacq successfully worked through the lengthy legal process, together with NERSA and Eskom, to ensure full legal compliance for this solution – the first of its size in South Africa.” Positive environmental impacts of the solution im-

Enquiries: +27 (0)10 596-1470

DCC-RATED DIESEL GENSETS FOR DATA CENTRE APPLICATIONS

PROVIDING ENERGY ACCESS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BBOXX, a next generation utility, and GE have launched a partnership to provide energy access for small businesses, schools and other organisations in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A large number of businesses and organisations across the DRC are currently without sufficient energy access. Many are paying excessive amounts for diesel and have to dedicate considerable time to solving problems caused by unreliable supply. This is hindering economic growth and acting as a barrier to improv- ing quality of life in one of the least developed nations in Africa. BBOXX has deployed the first of GE’s Hybrid Distributed Power (HDP) systems in the city of Goma, close to the Rwandan border, to connect up to 10 customers. The first is a local school, Kivu International School. More customers will be added to the ‘mini grid’ over the following weeks. GE’s HDP technology provides sustainable energy in off-grid settings, combining solar energy, battery storage and diesel generation to ensure a reliable electricity supply. The systems will be linked between GE’s Predix digital remote monitoring and diagnostics platform to BBOXX’s cloud-based Pulse platform in the near future. This pioneering technology proactively troubleshoots issues with any system before they become a problem for customers. Pulse uses big data and predictive ana- lytics to help improve customer service and provide a deep understanding of customer behaviour. The partnership forms part of BBOXX’s strategy to improve access to vital utilities for customers with a range of needs, from small solar home systems of 50 W in rural communities, to businesses in urban areas with higher energy demands of 0.5 kW – 5.0 kW, and beyond. GE’s HDP system in Goma is capable of delivering up to 30 kW. “Many businesses and small organisations in the DRC, and across the developing world, do not have a reliable, affordable way of maintaining electricity supply. Hybrid distributed power and micro-grid technol- ogy provide one solution to solve this pressing problem by delivering an on-grid experience in an off-grid setting,” said Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and co-founder of BBOXX. “We are excited to partner with BBOXX to enable energy access in the DRC. GE’s Hybrid Distributed Power system offers flexibility to deliver fast, reliable power with a digital backbone found in utility scale power plants,” said Brian Selby, Managing Director of Licensing at GE. BBOXX is already positively impacting the lives of 750 000 people living in off-grid communities in Africa and Asia by providing clean, reliable and affordable solar electricity. BBOXX recognises that electricity is the entry point to a broader range of products and services as well as further economic development.

A key advantage of Cummins diesel gensets for data centre applications is that they boast a DCC rating from the Uptime Insti- tute, which guarantees total dependability. This is a key criterion in such a niche but premium market segment, where reliable back-up power is critical, according to Robin Kuriakose, Power Generation Sales Leader for Southern Africa. The Data Centre Continuous (DCC) rating means that the Cummins diesel gensets are rated for unlimited hours of operation, with no restric- tions on average variable or constant load factor. This spans Cummins’ range of high horsepower diesel gensets, from 400 kVA to 3 300 kVA. It can also offer technical solutions regarding Tier I to Tier IV applications, while maintaining its two- year standard warranty offering. Consultants and engineers can design with the confidence that Cummins’ diesel gensets can be ap- plied up to the specified rating without restrictions on varying or non-varying loads or hours of operation. These ratings greatly simplify the engineering design process, and also make it easier for customers to achieve site certification from the Uptime Institute. By combining DCC ratings with the time-test- ed ability of Cummins diesel gensets to achieve 100% load acceptance in a single step, together with best-in-class PowerCommand digital con- trols, data centre customers are assured that their power generation systems are at the cut- ting-edge of technological development. “This is a particular value-add for our clients, as we are one of very few local suppliers offering a DCC rating as standard,” Kuriakose notes. From large financial institutions to telecoms compa-

nies and even parastatals, it is critical that data centres have reliable back-up power in the event of any unforeseen outage. “Back-up power can be supplemented by UPS, but this solution has a finite battery back-up capacity before it runs out. Only diesel gensets are capable of supplying power on-demand, for whatever period required,” Kuriakose stresses. The implications of downtime for any data centre are not only potential loss of data, but reduced data traffic, and therefore less revenue generated. Commenting on battery back-up as a potential solution, Kuriakose points out that this technol- ogy still has a long way to go before it matures. “The fact of the matter is that, if power supply to a data centre is interrupted for an entire day, for example, only a diesel genset is sufficient for such an extended period. Cummins is a premium engine manufacturer, which means that its diesel gensets are of the highest quality.” Cummins’ complete power-system solutions for data centre applications comprise high- horsepower gensets, automatic transfer switches, digital control technology, and remote monitor- ing and control in the form of PowerCommand, which allows operators to view power-system performance from a Web browser, for example. “These innovations represent the cutting edge in data centre back-up power supply. The combi- nation of reliable equipment and seamless com- ponents, together with the DCC rating, make our diesel gensets the most trusted in the world for such critical applications,” Kuriakose concludes.

Enquiries: www.ge.com

TOOLKIT FOR ROUTINE EQUIPMENT CHECK-UPS

R outine check-up and early diagnosis of equipment can prevent catastrophic failures and help to reduce energy consumption and operating costs. The asset management toolkit (AMT) supplied by CIS Industrial Services uses three-phase voltage and current signals to diag- nose existing electrical and mechanical problems. AMT is equipped with a computer, fully function- al AES software, current transformers and cables. It is connected to motor cables using clamp-on cur- rent sensors and voltage cables. It collects data and also has the ability to measure equipment driven by the motor, for example, a gearbox. At the end of the testing period, the toolkit generates a condition assessment report, which indicates existing faults of the system, time to failure information, recom-

mended corrective actions and the effect of these faults on energy efficiency. Taking corrective action for existing equipment faults will eliminate unplanned downtime, improve energy efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and extend equipment lifetime. It has been estimated that operations and maintenance programmes targeting energy efficiency, can save up to 20% on energy bills without a significant capital investment. AMT can be used in most industrial sectors in motor-driven applications, including compressors, fans, pumps, conveyors and generators. The com- pact kit is supplied in a protective dust and water- proof case.

Enquiries: www.cummins.com

Enquiries: www.cisindustrialservices.com

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 2018