Rooftop solar: Concerns arise about metro’s rooftop solar panels
A local taxpayer claims that at least 468 solar panels belonging to the City of Ekurhuleni are not working, however, the city begs to differ.
Concerns looming over the City of Ekurhuleni’s solar system on the rooftop of Alberton Civic Centre and the Swartkoppies complex, said to cost millions of rands, have left taxpayers seeking clarity.
According to a concerned resident, the city has a massive solar system on top of the Alberton Civic Centre which cost millions and is not working.
“At Ekurhuleni office complex next to the Alberton Fire Station on the roof of the mechanical workshop are 468 solar panels and 3 x 1m x 1m x 0.500mm inverter systems, for six months and it is still not working,” he stated.
CoE Solar Systems
Zweli Dlamini, city spokesperson said the solar installation at the Swartkoppies complex (next to the Alberton Fire Station) was commissioned in June 2022.
“The plant is divided into two sections, a 30 Kilowatts (kW) section which is tied to the electricity depot and is working 100% and a 220kW section which is tied to the mechanical depot. The 220kW section has temporarily been switched off while the tie-in point is being changed to the main miniature substation next to the mechanical depot and this work is underway,” he said.
According to Dlamini, the 500kW plant at the Alberton Civic Centre is working and faulty inverters have recently been repaired ensuring that the plant generates to its maximum capacity.
“Generation stats are available on request. Kindly note that both plants are grid-tied with no storage facility meaning they shut down when the grid is not available, i.e. load-shedding, power failures, etc. The unavailability of the plants during these power failures will give an impression that the plants are not working hence the general public comment but in fact, the plants are offsetting what these buildings draw from the grid when the grid is available,” he explained.
