Discussion on solar energy in South Africa
EDENBURG – If you look at big operations or factories, they will typically have a grid-tie solar system. Eskom goes down and then they will start their generators and disconnect the PV from Eskom, they then start their generators and reconnect the PV to the generators, says James Green
Solar energy has been the most accessible form of renewable energy. The debate is if the transition from coal to solar is really worth the capital to spend.
The majority of South Africans rely on the provision of electricity from Eskom, which uses the burning of coal, fossil fuels and a few solar power plants to generate electricity. The issue surrounding the reliance on Eskom, is the presence of load-shedding.
The closest thing to avoiding load-shedding is having a generator or using an alternative source of energy which is often renewable energy, in this topic, solar energy.
James Green, a resident in Edenburg who is a solar water-heating system expert, took the time to inform the public on key matters when observing solar as a form of energy.
“They are two types of solar – behind the meter and in front of the meter. Behind the meter is what an individual is consuming at their homes or at their companies and then, in front of the meter is basically the electricity produced by Eskom and a few other suppliers. If you are looking at behind the meter, the options are solar water heating or solar PV. If you are looking in front of the meter, you are looking at solar PV farms, where you have a farm of solar panels which are feeding the grid,” explained Green.
According to *esolar, a website focusing on solar energy, it referred to solar PV as photovoltaic, which is the process where the silicon situated in the solar panels converts the sunlight into electricity.
In South Africa, the cheapest way of consuming electricity is through Eskom. Dealing with challenges such as load- shedding, the best solution is to go hybrid as advised by Green.
Green used an example of a big factory. The example is centred on the occurrence of load-shedding and how both energies play a role.
Green said, “If you look at big operations or factories, they will typically have a grid tie solar system, Eskom goes down and then they will start their generators and disconnect the PV from Eskom, they then start their generators and reconnect the PV to the generators and reverse the process once the power comes back.”
Concluding to the question, is solar energy worth the capital to spend?
Yes and no. For an individual, it boils down to being able to afford the installation of solar panels, it is however, advisable for big corporations to have both forms of energy.
* Source: www.esolar.co.nz/what-does-pv-or-photo-voltaic-mean/
