Construction World September 2016

SOLAR panels for LARGE FACILITIES

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.

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

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.”

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Since 2009, prices for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules have fallen roughly 80%, says the International Renewable Energy

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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

CONSTRUCTION WORLD SEPTEMBER 2016