Solar power systems manufacturer SolarWorld Africa and its distribution partner, African Technical Innovations (ATI), supplied and installed the agriculture sector’s first and largest roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system at a fruit and vegetable cooling facility, Ceres Koelkamers, in the Western Cape.

The 508 kWp installation took two months to complete. SolarWorld supplied 2 117 SW240 poly PV panels for the array, spanning two cold-storage buildings that cover about 3 800 m2.

The installation will generate 848 000 kWh/y for the cold-storage facilities to refrigerate harvested produce.

The facility consumes five-million kilowatt hours a year and the installation is expected to cut electricity costs by 17% and emit 839 t of carbon emissions a year during its 25-year maintenance-free life span.

The project was implemented by ATI and the company searched for the best solution, with a 25-year linear performance guarantee, to justify the capital investment, says ATI owner Kobus Engelbrecht.

“The project is supported by State-owned power utility Eskom’s Integrated Demand Management programme, which focuses on ensuring short-term security of electricity supply through coordinating and consolidating the various initiatives aimed at optimising energy use and through balancing electricity supply and demand,” explains Engelbrecht.

Ceres Koelkamers opted for solar power because the region does not have water- or wind power-generating resources, but it receives enough sunlight hours for a feasible solar power facility.

Also, compared with other renewable- energy sources, solar power allows for 25-year maintenance-free yields and the greatest cooling is required at the time of the highest regional irradiation, which is during the summer months when the system performs at its peak and generates the greatest amount of electricity.

The PV system at Ceres Koelkamers paves the way for other resource-poor farmers as well as businesses in the agriculture sector to consider alternatives to save running costs such as power consumption in order to meet government’s goal of building an efficient and internationally competitive agriculture sector, as well as reduce carbon emissions.