Holiday resort Sun City has installed a R16-million, grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) system, rated at 1.4 MW, to reduce electricity consumption from the national grid.

The system constitutes 2 584, 560 W monocrystalline PV modules installed on the roof of the Sun City hotel, said installer of the system Tsebo Energy Solutions national energy engineer TM Lesetla.

“These panels will be tied into Sun City’s internal electrical network to feed the power produced on the roof to the points of delivery. Sun City is like a little town on its own and the solar capacity is part of the energy mix.”

The installed plant will displace an equivalent of 2 367 MWh a year, with the highest levels of energy production expected in nine out of the 12 months.

“This is an equivalent of what 329 average-sized South African households consume over a year. On good sunshine days, which will be most days, the facility will free up an equivalent of 14% of Sun City’s electrical demand from the national utility Eskom, which will be to the benefit of the grid in the vicinity and, by extension, local communities that feed off the same supply,” said Sun City GM Brett Hoppé.

From a sustainability perspective, the solar plant will see Sun City reduce its carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by an estimated 2 510 t/y, which will make a positive contribution to mitigate against climate change into the future.

“This is one of the many initiatives that Sun City and Sun International are rolling out to reduce energy use both from a supply and demand perspective. Efficient lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning retrofits and reconfigurations, water-heating and a gradual move to renewables all form part of the plan.

“Sun International’s sustainability approach ensures we continue to meet our vision of providing memorable experiences for our guests, providing employment for our people, delivering superior shareholder returns, creating genuine value for the communities in which we operate and making sure we reduce our environmental footprint at the same time,” said Hoppé.

The investment will pay for itself within five years, driven by above-average yearly electricity price escalations. The plant has an expected lifespan of beyond 25 years when coupled with a well-planned preventive maintenance regime.