SOLA was contracted by Growth Point Properties to install a 814 kWp Solar PV System at the Constantia Village in Cape Town. The plant is expected to produce around 1.3million kWh per year from equipment with a 25 year life span.

Constantia Village is an ideal development for a large Solar PV project as they have a large roof area where solar panels can be installed, and a healthy electrical demand driven mainly by air conditioning, refrigeration and lighting.  The demand peaks during the middle of the day which coincides with the Solar PV production peak, this allows the owners to make good maximum demand electricity savings over and above the electrical savings.  Over and above the financial and CO2 savings, the PV modules also provide increased roofing insulation which slows heat buildup in the centre.  The reduced heat load significantly reduces air conditioning loads which further diminishes electricity consumption.

“We are very pleased to have successfully completed the Constantia Village PV project.  We gave ourselves tight deadlines in order to be complete before the December retail rush.  Credit to the engineering and project management team for completing 814kWp in 7 weeks” says Dom Wills, CEO of SOLA.

The first phase of the solar installation was completed early December 2015 and will see the energy consumption reduced by almost 20%. So far, 5010 m2 of the main shopping centre’s roof has been covered with solar panels, and another 1500m2 is currently being planned which is aimed to be added in the second phase of 2016.