German photovoltaic (PV) mounting systems manufacturer Renusol will supply its solutions for mounting PV modules on roofs to South African wholesaler Lumax Energy, which sells Renusol’s entire product portfolio.

“The solar market in South Africa is con-tinuously growing. On top of the estimated 100 MW of rooftop and agricultural PV output that have already been installed in the country, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research predicts a significant rise in new installations in the future – 500 MW a year is possible – if government provides even greater support for solar power generation, for example, by enhancing regulation, introducing tax incentives or a feed-in tariff in all provinces,” says Lumax Energy business development manager Frans-Willem Vermaak.

He adds that the Western Cape is currently the only province with a feed-in tariff scheme, noting that, by 2030, South Africa’s energy requirements could double to around 90 GW, of which about 22.5 GW could be covered by solar power generated from roof and commercial installations, according to estimations made by the Department of Energy in its current Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity.

“Homeowners and businesses have already begun to invest in solar power, however, as we have not only a lot of sun here, but also many surface areas that are suitable for the generation of solar power. “Many people also want to end their sub-jection to power outages, which are fairly common in South Africa,” he states.

Vermaak points out that power shortages sometimes disconnect entire suburbs from the power grid for several hours.

Lumax Energy tested various PV mounting systems manufacturers before selecting Renusol as its exclusive supplier.

“We were impressed by the high quality and exceptional innovation of Renusol’s mounting solutions. “That is why we only offer Renusol mounting systems to our customers,” continues Vermaak.

“We are delighted to have won Lumax Energy as a sales partner for South Africa. “Lumax Energy offers its customers an excellent service. Its team has extensive experience in the PV industry and also provides project planning support,” explains Renusol MD Sven Künzel.

He notes that Renusol is expanding its inter-national sales, and South Africa is the first step, adding that the company has plans to enter several other interesting markets around the globe.

Lumax Energy is set to present all of Renusol’s mounting solutions at the Solar Show Africa 2016 exhibition, previously known as Power & Electricity World Africa, on March 15 and 16.