Hyprop Investment Limited’s Gauteng-based regional shopping centre, Clearwater Mall, has added additional solar photovoltaic (PV) to their roof.
Hyprop first started with 500kWp in November 2014, then added an additional 1000kWp in September 2015 and now 1 404 kWp will be added; the total solar generation at the mall will now make up approximately 15% of the mall’s total consumption.
The final system will generate, on average, 4 750 000kWh of electricity per annum which is equal to the consumption in the same period of 430 average households. The panels cover an area of approximately 17 000m², saving 2 680 tons of coal per annum thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions in excess of 930 tons per annum.
The energy yield from solar panels closely matches the electrical consumption curve of the shopping malls and the bulk of the electricity is used during the daytime, making solar panels the ideal alternate energy source. As malls operate seven days a week there is no wastage of solar energy over weekends. A further benefit is that solar energy requires minimal maintenance.
CEO Pieter Prinsloo says: “The additional 1 404kWp will help mitigate the impact of continuously rising electricity costs, as well as shrinking Hyprop’s carbon footprint, in line with the primary objectives of our environmental strategy.”
