Powermode helps 1700 rural Eastern Cape households get solar power
Powermode has been commissioned by the Mbhashe
municipality in the Eastern Cape and the Department of Energy (DoE) to install
solar PV (photovoltaic) power in 1700 rural households.
The project, part of the Eastern Cape
rural housing development plan, centres on the installation of an off-grid
solar home system, as defined by the DoE, in each of the dwellings.
It involves the installation of a 90-watt
roof-top solar PV panel and storage battery to deliver enough energy to power
six indoor LED lights for up to four hours per day and two external LED security
lights for 12 hours.
The system
is also capable of powering a DC 32-inch TV set for five hours as well as
providing cell phone charging for five hours via two seven-amp
‘cigarette-lighter-type’ sockets.
One
of the benefits of the system is its ability to be expanded, with additional
solar panels and batteries, to cater for a DC refrigerator, washing machine and
a sewing machine.
The houses
selected by the Mbhashe municipality for solar electrification are located in
remote areas where subsistence farming predominates. They are unlikely to be in
line for Eskom power within at least three to five years.
A key
element of the project is the training and upskilling of local workers to
technically support and maintain existing installations while establishing
businesses to take advantage of future DoE initiatives and the possible expansion
of installations as required by home-owners.
Find us:
No comments:
Post a Comment