Page 11 - Energize September 2022

NEWS

Banking on renewable energy a candidate for the study and thanks
At 715kW, this project was deemed

to the timeous and efficient receipt of
all the required information from the
he largest retail bank by client numbers and the biggest digital bank in South Africa, Stellenbosch Municipality, Capitec’s
Capitec, has commissioned EPC solar installation company, Impower, to design, evaluation was seamlessly and
Tinstall and maintain a ground-breaking solution which integrates both solar and an successfully conducted. The financial
innovative battery backup system. entity submitted the study, and their
small-scale embedded generation (SSEG)
Solar solution application was approved, subsequently
The banking giant has turned to solar as a long-term solution to reduce its reliance on the representing the largest SSEG approval to
grid, minimise energy costs and play its part in contributing toward net zero. The high-level date by the local municipality.
design specification installed by Impower includes:
• 715kWp design merging ballasted and roof mounting structures Eco-conscious
• The integration of not only a 500/400kWh battery, but the onsite generator as well as With a firm commitment to reduce
the facility’s building management system carbon emissions, Capitec is certainly
• An expected yield of 1 154 887kWh in the first year after commissioning and 21 563 on the right track by collaborating
939kWh over a 20-year period with Impower, the trailblazers of the
renewable energy industry. By drastically
Battery storage pioneers increasing their dependence on solar as
Over and above the large-scale solar installation, Impower is supplying Capitec with an an energy source, this solar project will
innovative battery backup system that ultimately reduces peak energy costs. result in minimising 22 211 tons of CO 2
While conventional battery backup systems typically remain idle until a power outage over the lifetime of the project.
occurs, this novel design performs peak-shaving. Thus, by investing in Impower’s battery
backup system, Capitec can now consume energy within peak times whilst simultaneously About Impower
trimming costs. Further, such designs can be integrated with diesel generators to provide Impower has been a specialist
another layer of energy reliability and reduce operational spend on diesel. engineering, procurement and project
Importantly, the return on investment of the battery system is impressively minimal. management contractor (EPCM) within
Approximately 2 years ago, the payback period was 7,5 years in contrast to today’s the solar and energy storage industry for
approximately 3 years. These remarkable results are due to the cyclical nature of the over a decade. The company provides
technology which ultimately generates revenue in the short to medium term. customised solar and storage energy
solutions, ranging between 100 kW and
Public-private collaboration 10 MW, to the commercial and industrial
The positive impact of public-private partnerships cannot be underestimated, and this (C&I) sector. Engineered solutions using
project is no exception. Capitec has been a longstanding client of the Stellenbosch only first tier components and approved
Municipality which has played a monumental role in assisting the bank to acquire its SSEG engineering methodologies coupled
application. with their set of value-based principles,
Any system greater than 350 kW must undergo a grid integration study, which is a ensure that their systems are durable and
systematic framework used to assess a power system with high penetration levels of consistently exceed expectations of their
variable renewable energy (RE). clients.
Impower has approximately 30 MW
of active solar and battery storage sites
located across the African continent,
with a further 150 MW currently under
development. Today, the company
has grown to be a vertically integrated
bespoke energy entity offering specialised
project development, EPC and O&M
services, with an explicit objective to
extenuate energy poverty in Africa.

Contact Impower, Phone
021 300-0470, info@impower.co.za,
https://impower.solar

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