NBL officially switched on its solar rooftop plant after it was inaugurated at its head office in Windhoek yesterday.
The 1.1 MW plant, which will cover up to 34% of the total NBL consumption, was installed by the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group of Companies together with its subsidiaries O&L Energy.
According to O&L, the roof- mounted PV (photovoltaic) plant, which is believed to be Africa’s largest rooftop plant, is fitted with a 4200 panel facility with 66 SMA inverters, spans a 6 400 sqm roof area and has a special design that provides an east-west orientation on a 10 degree mounting system without penetrating the roof. It is valued at N$22,8 million, Managing Director of NBL, Wessie van der Westhuizen, said the plant was designed to have a more efficient output in the mornings and afternoons to reduce the wind loads, which will cater for sufficient ventilation to ensure the highest efficiency with an annual output of 1.9 GWh.
The plant also includes a hybrid management system that integrates and co-ordinates the supply from solar power, diesel generator and national grid.
“The grind connection power solution generates electricity partly from the solar systems during the day and totally switches over to the national grid for night operations” he said. Van der Westhuizen added that “we are extremely proud to follow the green route in an effort to reduce energy cost and become partly self-sufficient.”
Executive chairman of O& Lgroup companies, Sven Thieme, said the solar plant aims to assist in relieving the pressure on electricity from neighbouring countries by becoming self-sufficient while creating employment for Namibians and in so doing contribute to alleviate the pres- sure that rests on government’s shoulders.
“This is an exciting development for Namibia and will be the forerunner of a range of renewable energy projects currently being developed in Southern Africa ... we need to harness these in building an inclusive and sustainable green economy,” said Thieme.
Deputy Director of Mines and Energy, Noddy Ipangelwa, who conveyed a keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Mines and Energy, Isak Katali, commended the O&L Group of Companies on their latest innovation.
Ipangelwa said although there are private households in and around Windhoek using solar power for their geysers, more corporate, companies and businesses must consider solar power as their first sources of energy.
“The government is 100% behind anyone who wishes to embark on such a project. I [therefore] appeal to other cor- porate, companies and businesses [and] also individuals to consider solar power,” said Ipangelwa.
The 1.1 MW plant, which will cover up to 34% of the total NBL consumption, was installed by the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group of Companies together with its subsidiaries O&L Energy.
According to O&L, the roof- mounted PV (photovoltaic) plant, which is believed to be Africa’s largest rooftop plant, is fitted with a 4200 panel facility with 66 SMA inverters, spans a 6 400 sqm roof area and has a special design that provides an east-west orientation on a 10 degree mounting system without penetrating the roof. It is valued at N$22,8 million, Managing Director of NBL, Wessie van der Westhuizen, said the plant was designed to have a more efficient output in the mornings and afternoons to reduce the wind loads, which will cater for sufficient ventilation to ensure the highest efficiency with an annual output of 1.9 GWh.
The plant also includes a hybrid management system that integrates and co-ordinates the supply from solar power, diesel generator and national grid.
“The grind connection power solution generates electricity partly from the solar systems during the day and totally switches over to the national grid for night operations” he said. Van der Westhuizen added that “we are extremely proud to follow the green route in an effort to reduce energy cost and become partly self-sufficient.”
Executive chairman of O& Lgroup companies, Sven Thieme, said the solar plant aims to assist in relieving the pressure on electricity from neighbouring countries by becoming self-sufficient while creating employment for Namibians and in so doing contribute to alleviate the pres- sure that rests on government’s shoulders.
“This is an exciting development for Namibia and will be the forerunner of a range of renewable energy projects currently being developed in Southern Africa ... we need to harness these in building an inclusive and sustainable green economy,” said Thieme.
Deputy Director of Mines and Energy, Noddy Ipangelwa, who conveyed a keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Mines and Energy, Isak Katali, commended the O&L Group of Companies on their latest innovation.
Ipangelwa said although there are private households in and around Windhoek using solar power for their geysers, more corporate, companies and businesses must consider solar power as their first sources of energy.
“The government is 100% behind anyone who wishes to embark on such a project. I [therefore] appeal to other cor- porate, companies and businesses [and] also individuals to consider solar power,” said Ipangelwa.
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