SOLA Build has designed hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy systems, and houses one of the most experienced engineering teams in the industry. Many decades of combined technical experience allow us to optimise designs for reliability and efficiency, ensuring seamless integration with the grid, or with our clients behind-the-meter infrastructure. SOLA has designed numerous iconic renewable energy plants including the 10MW Adams facility (the first large solar wheeling project in South Africa), the 200MW Lichtenburg 1 and 2 projects which fall under the largest private PPA in Africa, and the Robben Island solar-battery-diesel microgrid facility. 

SOLA provides a turnkey construction service to ensure one point of contact and responsibility throughout the construction process. SOLA’s in-house construction team provides clients with surety of the construction quality, timeous delivery and post-project site cleanliness. Health and Safety, Environmental Compliance and other permitting is adhered to at the highest level. Comprehensive commissioning processes ensure 100% compliance with the committed capacity and efficiency requirements of our construction and operations contracts.

SOLA is a technology-neutral solutions provider, and uses the best products for the type of solution required. We have a wide range of strong-relationships with the world’s leading suppliers of renewable energy generation and balance-of-plant technologies, and our extensive network of local and international suppliers ensure cost-effective and high quality results. End-to-end service and a high volume of procurement allows for optimal payment terms and conditions. SOLA is supplier agnostic and uses the best products for the type of solution required.

SOLA leverages its deep technical expertise and extensive experience in the commercial and technical administration of renewable energy plants, including oversight of stakeholder engagement and community investments. We manage both commercial and industrial renewable energy plants, as well as utility-scale plants, through both the construction and operations phases. Currently, SOLA administers a diverse portfolio of rooftop and ground-mounted assets totaling approximately 500 MWac.

SOLA maintains strong relationships with international DFis, all major commercial banks in South Africa and key equity players in the renewable energy sector. This ensures we secure the most competitive financing for our projects. To date, SOLA has financed more than R10 billion in debt, mezzanine, and equity facilities for its projects.

SOLA was one of the first renewable energy project developers in South Africa and, as a founding member of the South African PV Industry Association (SAPVIA), has been instrumental in shaping the market over a period of more than a decade.  SOLA’s highly experienced project development team builds and maintains a large and diverse pipeline of projects from site identification through to Financial Close.  With successful projects in the first 4 rounds of REIPPPP and an industry-leading track record in developing large scale private wheeling projects, SOLA has delivered high quality landmark projects across South Africa, swiftly adapting to an often challenging and ever-changing market environment.

SOLA has a suite of highly optimised development processes for prospecting, land securement, feasibility assessments, permitting and grid capacity securement.  With development experience in solar PV, BESS and wind SOLA has curated a pipeline of projects across all regions of South Africa, totalling in excess of 3GW of opportunities. 

In addition to developing inhouse projects from the ground up, SOLA supplements the portfolio with the acquisition of other projects from junior developers where needed, to deliver projects to Financial Close and execution in the fastest and most efficient way.

SOLA integrates energy storage for more reliable power and increased carbon savings.

SOLA has a strong track record of delivering battery energy storage solutions to energy users across South Africa, and in Mozambique and the Seychelles. 

Our track record includes the iconic Robben Island Solar PV and Battery Micro-grid. SOLA can couple utility-scale batteries with renewable energy generators to: 

• Produce clean power during peak demand periods; 
• Target and reduce load peaks and associated demand charges; 
• Prevent opportunity-cost losses by replacing Eskom (or municipal supply) during load curtailment periods, or; 
• Improve grid resilience by providing full load-shedding back-up. 

The SOLA team has extensive experience in the integration of batteries with both renewable generators and existing load-point infrastructure including diesel generators. Our end-to-end services include the provision of wheeled renewable from solar-plus-battery systems, and grid back-up from behind-the-meter solar and/or BESS installations. Our core energy storage offerings are outlined below.

SOLA’s solar-plus-battery solutions can be implemented on both a wheeling and behind-the-meter basis to maximise the use of renewable energy across the demand periods – increasing the use of clean energy during peak demand periods, or optimising renewable energy output in line with the specific load profiles of our buyers. Our solar-plus-battery solutions allow for tariff arbitrage between peak, standard and off-peak periods, as well as maximal renewable energy use during Eskom’s peak demand periods where electricity is at a premium.

SOLA’s integrated battery solutions can provide partial or full backup for our clients during periods of load-curtailment or load-shedding by Eskom or a municipal electricity network operator. SOLA has extensive expertise in the integration of battery solutions with grid supplies, on-site renewable energy generators and on-site diesel generators to optimise the flow and use of energy under all operational circumstances, leading to reduced costs, increased production, and greater decarbonisation. Our behind-the-meter load-shedding and load-curtailment solutions ensure seamless changeovers with no interruption of power supply.

SOLA’s battery solutions can be implemented for a range of additional targeted solutions and our technical team is constantly innovating to meet the future needs of both the national and municipal grid networks, as well as the requirements of our individual clients. Innovative solutions offered by or under development including peak demand management solutions, grid support services, and other grid ancillary services.