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MechChem Africa
•
March 2017
“
A
s part of our pledge to create
sustainable employment in
manufacturing in the private
sector, ARTsolar has offered
intensive staff training to ensure every step
in the quality control of producing PV panels
is inaccordancewith international standards,”
says Qaphela Zikhali, ARTsolar’s operations
manager. “ARTsolar, in conjunction with ex-
pert instructors andengineers fromGermany,
Switzerland and China, has provided skills
training to over 200 local matriculants.
“The company’s training initiative also
forms part of our commitment to providing
long term solutions to the development of
renewable energy in South Africa and our
support of the Government’s Renewable
Energy Independent Power Producer
Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), where
the creation of job opportunities, local con-
tent and community development remain
ARTsolar, South Africa’s locally owned photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing plant in,
has implemented a certified training and facilities upgrade programme at its New
Germany plant in KwaZulu-Natal.
ARTsolar has made a substantial investment in new equipment to meet the REIPPPP production
requirements.
Modules are soldered either automatically by robots
or manually by skilled employees on the same line.
PV training
creates sustainable employment
essential ingredients of the programme.
“By utilising the latest environmentally-
friendly technology to convert solar energy
toelectrical power, ARTsolar provides reliable
and independent electricity to support the
country’s growing economy and to combat
the effects of rising utility costs. Local inter-
est in PV technology has heightened since
the launch of the REIPPPP and PV modules
are gaining popularity as a formof renewable
energy that is clean, emission and noise-free,
sustainable, safe and cost-efficient.”
ARTsolar – thefirst local PVmodulemanu-
facturer to participate in the REIPPPP – has
completed the module supply of 65 MW
in Round 2 and 86 MW in Round 3 and will
continue to expand its facilities at the plant
tomeet production requirements for thenext
phase of this programme.
Expanded facilities have a production
capacity of 130 MWper year, which equates
to approximately 412-thousand, 315 Wp
Polycrystalline PV panel modules.
The companywill againpartnerwith inter-
national PV companies to ensure production
for the REIPPPP in 2017 continues to meet
stringent quality, safety and environmen-
tal standards. Modules will also adhere to
Government requirements, which include the
percentage of local content necessary.
ARTsolar,withanunderstandingofdistinct
South African conditions, is committed to
the development of PV modules specifically
suited to local climate conditions. PV panels
are designed for large-scale power plants,
mines and rural electrification, as well as
industrial and residential roofing. Modules
with enhanced aesthetics are manufactured
for residential and commercial installations.
“This environmentally friendly systemcan
also be integrated into roofs and facades to
reduce the energy that buildings consume,”
suggests Zikhali.
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