Photovoltaic and Solar Water Heating Systems, Kleinmond
Project Details:
- Date: 02 April, 2013
- Client: CSIR/Local Municipality
The Kleinmond project consisted of 411 systems each with a low pressure solar water heating (SWH) and a solar PV system to supply electricity for lights. The project should result in an estimated reduced connection load of up to 430kWp from the national grid. This will result in significant savings and reduced carbon emissions.
Solek was responsible for the design and supply of the solar PV and SWH systems for a low-cost housing project in Kleinmond. The implementation process (installation) was overseen by Solek as well as the quality assurance (QA) process. The QA process ensured that installation was done correctly to provide the maximum long-term benefit for the client and homeowners.
The Kleinmond project was initiated and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), together with the Council for Science and Industrial Research (CSIR). This was a pilot project to establish a base line specification for the introduction of renewable solutions into government projects, especially low-cost housing projects. The successful implementation of this project helped to pave the way for large-scale roll-out for domestic implementation across South Africa. Renewable energy is a national concern with economic potential.
The technical specifications for this project far outweigh that of the commonly found low-cost imported products, which are known for poor quality and limited expected life time. This project defined a new specification for a solution that would be able to work and last in conditions found in South Africa. This system has fully complaint solutions and also incorporated an Eskom connection for back-up.