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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
SEPTEMBER
2016
South Africa's electricity
is ranked as the 10
th
most
expensive in the world, and
with the National Energy
Regulator (Nersa) having
approved a 9,4% hike for
Eskom for 2016/17, we
can expect our position to
worsen. NUS Consulting,
a global energy management
company, researching the
state of energy markets, says
we pay more for our power
than countries such
as Poland, Australia
and Canada.
Since 2009, prices for solar
photovoltaic (PV) modules have
fallen roughly 80%, says the
International Renewable Energy
Agency (Irena). It also released a report in
June, stating that the solar industry is poised
for massive expansion, driven primarily by
cost reductions. It estimates that solar PV
capacity could reach between 1 760 and
2 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, up from
227 GW today.
KJION Energy SA, a subsidiary of ICT
Group Holdings, provides PV solutions with
or without battery storage for large commer-
cial and industrial sites, with the benefit
of offsite monitoring. These customised
solutions offer completely self-sustainable,
off-the-grid requirements, as well as backup,
on-grid PV needs, as well as a solar trailer for
mobile requirements.
“For companies that have large ware-
housing facilities, PV panels on the roof to
supply their power makes real economic
sense,” says Johann Wassermann, sales
production problems and these can then be
investigated and resolved.”
Warehousing solutions
For organisations that wish to install solar
on their roofs, KJION does a site survey to
ensure structural strength for the weight of
the panels and to ensure that the electrical
distribution boards are compliant. “If we
find that a site doesn’t meet the require-
ments, we're able to assist in upgrading
the electrical layout or providing suitable
contractors who can assist on the structural
side,” says Wassermann.
Offsite monitoring
As part of their PV solar installations, KJION
offers offsite monitoring, to ensure that
systems are running optimally and smoothly.
“This is part of our after-market support,
which is as important to us as the installation
of our panels,” says Wassermann. “With solar,
maintenance is really low, but we’ve found
that we can offer support in energy manage-
ment with our offsite monitoring offering. We
like to walk the distance with our clients.”
SOLAR
panels for
LARGE FACILITIES
>
manager at KJION Energy SA. “Capex can be
written off entirely in one year and Sars offers
tax incentives per saved grid kWh spent too.
The return on investment for solar has come
down drastically in the last few years and
depending on the batteries used, it ranges
from 3-5 years for lead acid batteries and
10-15 years for lithium-ion.
But the efficiency and cost of batteries
is also constantly improving” says Wasser-
mann. And financing options are becoming
more available through most banks and
investors, he adds.
Robotic cleaning tool
KJION has recently launched a robotic
cleaning device for large solar plants to the
local market. “It’s programmable for when
cleaning should take place and it's powered
by its own panel,” says Paul Fried, KJION
CEO. “It uses particularly soft brushes to
avoid scratching and damaging the panels,
which is often a problem when panels are
cleaned manually. Dirty panels reduce power
output and this tool can increase it by 35%.
It also detects hot spots which cause power