Truck and trailer body-building company Serco is now fully powered by solar energy at its Boksburg facility in Gauteng.
The installation consists of a 150 kW hybrid solar system with 370 x 405 W panels, plus high-voltage inverters, coupled with 320 kW of batteries.
This development follows the installation of solar power at Serco’s Durban factory in the Phoenix Industrial Park in 2019, which the company says has saved more than 618 t in carbon emissions to date.
The solar system in Durban provides full power to the premises during the day, with a switchback to the grid at night, when far less electricity is required.
Durban’s 340 kW peak system has the potential to save Serco up to 75% of its electricity costs at the plant, says the company.
The Boksburg system produces a constant 24-hour supply by using the inverter and batteries.
This negates the need for a generator, resulting “in massive savings in diesel”, while it also removes the noise element, notes the company.
Next in line to go solar is Serco's premises in Cape Town, where installation should be completed before the end of the year.