PowerChina selects EPC contractor for 342 MW of solar in South Africa
Chinese civil engineering company PowerChina has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with developer SolarAfrica Energy for a 342 MW solar plant, to be built in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
Scientists assess heat dissipation factors in fixed, single-axis PV modules
Scientists have measured two fixed panels and two single-axis modules for months to determine their site-specific heat dissipation factors. These local results indicate a 3.3% enhancement in energy production compared to the default factors used in PVSyst.
University of the Western Cape launches 4 MW solar, storage tender
South Africa’s University of the Western Cape (UWC) has opened a 4 MW solar and storage tender, with proposals to include a PV carport system and an online monitoring and management platform. The tender follows a build, operate, and transfer model for up to 20 years.
Construction begins on South Africa’s first city-run solar plant
The city of Cape Town, South Africa, has started building a 7 MW solar plant that it will own and operate. It has also launched a tender for a 5 MW/8 MWh battery energy storage system to be built at the same site.
Powerchina switches on 100 MW solar tower in South Africa
Powerchina has switched on a 100 MW solar tower in South Africa. The concentrated solar power (CSP) project will supply 480 GWh of clean energy to the country’s power grid each year. The system’s molten salt storage enables 12 hours of full-load operation.
The Hydrogen Stream: Ballard restructures, Forvia supplies hydrogen tanks
Ballard Power Systems says it has started restructuring its global operations to cut costs due to slower hydrogen infrastructure development and delayed fuel cell adoption.
European Investment Bank invests in solar, wind in South Africa
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) are each investing €100 million ($110.8 million) in small- and medium-scale solar and onshore wind projects in South Africa. Together, they have now committed €600 million under South Africa’s Embedded Generation Investment Programme (EGIP).
Citroën lightweight compact EV equipped with solar kits
La Croisière Verte is the name of a 13,500 km expedition from the north to south of Africa in a fleet of four Citroën AMI vehicles, each carrying 5,600 W of lightweight PV panels in foldable packs.
Eskom runs tender for 19.5 MW of solar in South Africa
A tender is underway in South Africa for the design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of a 19.5 MW solar plant at the site of an existing 105.8 MW wind farm in the western part of the country. The deadline for applications is Sept. 12.
The effects of wind on single-axis PV trackers
Scientists in South Africa have conducted full-scale research on the effect of wind load on PV panel mounting rails for more than 100 days. Compared to standard design codes, they found lower combined wind load coefficients. Maximum loads occurred for an easterly wind direction.
