Significant SA-initiated advances in solar power technology in 2015.

Significant SA-initiated advances in solar power technology in 2015.

By Jack Ward, MD of Powermode

There was burgeoning interest in rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) power solutions for domestic, commercial and industrial applications in South Africa in 2015 as consumers from all sectors of the economy showed their determination to reduce their reliance on Eskom.

Concern over power reliability, possible load-shedding and looming electricity price hikes characterised the past year, persuading an increasing number of consumers to opt for solar power - nature’s free alternative – which continues to be seen as an attractive, cost-effective ‘green’ solution, particularly when compared to noisy diesel- or petrol-powered generators.

Decisions to select solar power as the ‘go-to’ option were often supported by advances in solar PV technology, one of which came in the form of the Soltra GTB 3000, a utility grid-connected, hybrid solar PV power system targeted at small-to-medium-size enterprise and domestic markets.

The Soltra GTB 3000 is designed to help users cope with load-shedding and power outages, functioning as a back-up rather than a complementary power source in these eventualities. This sets it apart from conventional solar PV power systems.

The GTB 3000 can be operated in three modes: linked to the electricity grid (grid-tied); as grid-tied unit with battery backup (in a hybrid configuration); or as a stand-alone hybrid unit. In line with uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and other conventional solutions, switchover time from mains to batteries is a rapid 15 milliseconds.

Another feature of 2015 was a breakthrough in battery storage design. The prevalence of routine load shedding and power outages has exposed one of the Achilles heels of standby power devices. This is the shortened lifespan of batteries when subjected to full depletion on a regular basis. This includes specialised, sealed, deep cycle VRLA batteries.

These batteries are not designed to cope with load-shedding. They’re intended to backup sensitive equipment such as computers for brief periods during which petrol/diesel generators take over or operators execute a safe power-down.

A period of load shedding, usually ranging from two to four hours, can fully deplete a battery pack. If repeated often enough, the batteries’ life can be reduced to around six months or less.

Last year the market witnessed the launch of the SA-designed Q-on LR (Long Run) battery pack geared to obviate this problem. Brought to market by power provisioning specialist Powermode, this solution is based on the principle that the key to battery longevity lies in a thorough understanding of the status of batteries in terms of their duty cycles and load factors.

Importantly, Powermode is offering a ground-breaking, three-year guarantee with its pioneering long-run battery. This is underpinned and facilitated by smart’ technology built into the battery pack. This includes a computerised battery balancing harness that automatically reports - via a ‘cloud-based’ portal - on a range of parameters associated with individual batteries in the pack.

The concept of more efficient battery storage will become one of the major influences on the solar PV market in SA in 2016. The local energy landscape, which will continue to be scarred by Eskom’s challenges, is in dire need of new ideas and solutions. The guaranteed, Q-on LR battery pack is sure to play a significant role going forward.

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