Retail-focused real estate investment trust Hyprop Investments on August 12 launched the Rosebank Mall energy project, an integration of solar PV, battery storage, grid supply and generator backup, managed by the ComAp InteliNeo controller.

This central control analyses demand, tariff rates and system status in real time, to prioritise power sources.

Central to this is the new ring main unit (RMU), which distributes power intelligently with advanced switchgear.

Safety measures entail the neutral-earth resistor, which provides fault protection and compliance.

This integrated system aims to provide a resilient, intelligent and sustainable energy solution for Hyprop’s Rosebank Mall retail property.

The project is aimed at maximising cost savings by buying energy at lower off-peak rates and using it during peak times, through energy arbitrage.

The project entailed the installation of a 7.2 MW battery plant, and conversion of the mall’s generators to dual fuel, with a 70:30 ratio of gas and diesel.

The generator system has evolved from diesel-only to a smart bi-fuel solution. The original generators and transformers provided support during loadshedding. Now, these units have been upgraded with ComAp control and converted to use both diesel and piped natural gas, which is expected to reduce both emissions and operational costs.

A new 2.5 MVA transformer interfaces this power directly into the smart grid, enabling battery changing or load support.

This hybrid setup aims to provide uninterrupted energy supply, cleaner generation and adaptive backup logic.

Central to the bi-fuel strategy is the Egoli Gas connection. Two high-capacity meters separately track natural gas supply to Rosebank Mall and Rosebank Gardens, enabling real-time transition from diesel to gas fuel, with the latter highlighted as a “cleaner” alternative.

Each feed is secured with pressure monitoring and shut-off valves, to ensure safety and compliance.

This infrastructure aims to reduce emissions, stabilise operations and support the site’s broader sustainability goals.

Also, above the mall, high-efficiency solar panels have been installed to feed solar power into six 1.2 MWh MegaTower battery banks, forming a 6 MWh reservoir of dispatchable power.

The MegaTowers were highlighted to be locally produced.

This renewable energy is optimised and controlled in real time, dynamically adjusting to demand, grid conditions and battery state-of-charge.

The MegaTower room is temperature-regulated with specialised heating, ventilation and air conditioning and fire suppression systems to provide safety and efficiency.

There are kilometres of precision-installed DC cabling that transports the solar power energy from panel to battery.

Stored energy from the MegaTowers flows through three 1.5 MW EPC inverters, converting DC power to high-quality AC power.

This output it unified at the inverter busbar before being stepped up by the 5 MVA transformer to 11 kV. From there, the RMU panel manages precise power routing across the mall’s grid.

Each breaker panel ensures fault protection, load balancing and seamless transition across power sources.

This architecture aims to provide a safe, smart and stable distribution of energy across the entire site.

Speakers at the launch lauded the successful execution of the project. Hyprop national utilities manager Jacques Vosloo averred that it represented a “bold new way of energy management in the retail environment”, with tenants assured of energy security regardless of grid conditions.

Rosebank Mall GM Muhammad Varachia termed it a “turning point for South African retail infrastructure”, with this signalling a change in how energy was approached in this space. He noted that it was one of the largest systems of its kind in the retail arena.

Varachia reiterated the point that tenants could continue to trade through loadshedding interruptions, adding that the system reduced pressure on the national grid during high demand hours.

Speakers also mentioned that the system was an example of sustainability as profit driver, with it expected to reduce operating costs while providing environmental gains. Hyprop’s approach to energy as a strategic investment, rather than a technical requirement, was highlighted.