Solar PV Solutions

Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) energy, which is energy generated from the sun, has become one of the most competitively priced energy saving solutions in the world. In South Africa, we are perfectly situated within the “sunbelt,” giving us abundant solar resources.

One of the most transformative events of the current decade has been the dramatic and sustained improvement in the competitiveness of renewable power generation technologies. Support policies for solar and wind power technologies are driving a virtuous circle of technology improvements, falling costs, and continued growth in new markets. In 2015, more renewable energy capacity was added to the global energy mix than in previous years, including 47GW of solar PV energy and 63GW of onshore wind energy. Solar PV module prices have fallen by 80% since the end of 2009 and are expected to fall even further in the near future.

Countries around the world are realizing that plummeting costs of solar PV equates to some of the cheapest electricity available, where good solar resources exist and financing costs are reasonable. The competitiveness of solar PV is dramatically illustrated by the recent string of tender result announcements that have prices below $0.03 cents per kWh in Dubai, Chile, and Abu Dhabi. Thanks to these recent developments, the promise of solar energy in the “sunbelt” is about to be realized, and this will have profound implications for Africa.

Africa has abundant solar resources (up to 117% higher than in Germany), but also has a desperate need for new capacity to improve existing supply quality and meet demand growth. The continent is increasingly turning to solar energy as an economic means to bolster energy security, meet social and development goals, and support rapid economic growth in a sustainable manner. In 2014, new capacity additions of solar PV in Africa exceeded 800MW, more than doubling the continent’s cumulative installed PV capacity. This was followed by additions of 750MW in 2015.

 There is also a fast growing PV market to meet off-grid electricity needs. Technology improvements and lower costs have spurred local and social entrepreneurs in the solar home system (SHS) market and in developing stand-alone mini-grids.

A “grid-tied” inverter system is one where the inverter is linked to the main electricity feed into the premises, and is thus dependent on the main electricity grid in order to function. The advantage of this type of system is that you save money by using solar power to generate the bulk of your electricity, which then lowers electricity costs. This is also the most cost-effective solar power system on the market thanks to the simplicity of the system and that it works without batteries. However, the disadvantage of this system is that it shuts down in the event of grid failure, or “loadshedding,” as it’s known in South Africa. Unlike “off-grid” and hybrid energy solutions, this kind of system is purely a cost-savings tool and does not defeat “loadshedding.”

One of the main types of the solar power systems is the “off-grid” system, also known as a stand-alone power system (SAPS). It works by generating electricity from solar panels and using it to charge a solar battery via a charger controller. This electricity is then converted using an inverter so that it can power appliances and other electronic devices. By “saving” the electricity in a solar battery, it is possible to run a home with solar energy, even during the night or during times when there is less sun exposure.