Clearwater Mall launches solar PV system
STRUBEN’S VALLEY – Solar PV in Clearwater Mall is the biggest in Africa according to Solareff.
A solar Photovoltaic (PV) system expected to increase energy savings at Clearwater Mall by up to 10 per cent of the mall’s total consumption was launched on 23 September.
The energy yield from solar panels closely matches the electrical consumption curve of the shopping malls and the bulk of electricity is used during day time, making solar an alternate energy source.
CEO Pieter Prinsloo of Hyprop Investments Limited, a property agent that manages Clearwater Mall, explained that the solar system would help mitigate the impact of continuously rising electricity costs.
“Hyprop’s investment in solar power for Clearwater Mall is the first step with similar green solutions to be rolled out at other centres in the portfolio,” concluded Prinsloo.
Jaco Botha from SolarReff which engineered the system said the solar plant was the biggest in Africa.
City Power spokesperson Yumna Sheik explained the utility was encouraging its customers who were able to venture into alternative energy sources to do so as it would bring relief to the constrained system while enabling economic activity to flourish.
“This initiative will ensure that there is uninterrupted supply of electricity to Clearwater Mall customers while the future plans include ensuring that there is more supply of power in line with the future developments of the mall,” said Sheik.
Sheik added that this initiative falls within the ambit of initiatives that the City of Joburg has identified as a means to alleviate the impact of load shedding within Johannesburg.
“City Power continues to work tirelessly on increasing the capability of mitigating load shedding through other initiatives including domestic load limiting, ripple control, domestic time of use through smart meters and independent power supply from Kelvin Power Station,” concluded Sheik.
Details: Clearwater Mall 011 447 0090; City Power 011 490 7627.
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