Rooftop solar system underway at V&A Waterfront

The installation follows a tender process that was completed in June 2015, in which Sustainable Power Solutions was awarded the Engineering and Procurement Contractor (EPC) business. As part of this tender, SolarWorld Africa is the chosen Photovoltaic (PV) module supplier.

The solar project will provide 4207 SolarWorld SunModule Plus SW260 Poly PV modules with an output of 1093.8kWp. The project will produce an estimated 1,640,000kWh, units of clean energy, and reduce 1610 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. The average daily production of this system will be 4495kWh, which is the energy needed to supply one day's worth of electricity to 310 average-sized households.

Axel Scholle, MD of Sustainable Power Solutions, the engineering, design, procurement and construction contractor, said: "It is a privilege to be a part of this flagship project. We pride ourselves on our focus on quality components and I am most satisfied that our highly professional team of engineers is on track to deliver this project on time and within budget, particularly as we were faced with the additional challenges of managing multiple sub-contractors in a very busy public space."

Set for completion in October

The first phase is set for completion in October 2015 and the overall project is scheduled to go live by early 2016. SolarWorld solar panels will be installed on the roofs of the Watershed, the Breakwater, the Clock Tower, Granger Bay, Two Oceans Aquarium, Ports Edge, West Quay, and Portswood House.

SolarWorld Africa's MD, Gregor Kuepper, said: "We are very proud to be the chosen partner on this important project, validating our global business model of manufacturing high-quality solar panels with long durability. This installation is significant in that it shall become the beacon for the roll-out of solar rooftop applications for embedded generation in the commercial sector across South Africa, and further north into the continent. Furthermore, this project instils the financial benefits of a diversified energy mix, while emphasising the importance of becoming environmentally friendly."

SolarWorld and Sustainable Power Solutions are setting a new benchmark for the commercial sector in terms of the reduction of carbon emissions and the saving of electricity costs.

The V&A Waterfront's Executive Manager of Operations, Colin Devenish said: "The V&A Waterfront offers a world-class product, and as the most visited destination on the continent we take our reputation and green credentials very seriously. We are committed to ensuring our environmental and sustainability measures and initiatives are at the forefront of all our business practices. We believe that this project enables us to deliver world-class standards that can be measured against responsible business practices."