Recognising the need to help mitigate the shortage of power in South Africa and taking advantage of the country’s fast-changing energy landscape, Germany-based green energy management solutions provider QTE Energy has expanded its service offering and opened a local branch, QTE Energy South Africa, in Sophiatown, Johannesburg.

Responding to an invitation from the German Chamber of Commerce in South Africa in February, representatives from QTE’s head office in Vellmar, Germany, visited South Africa earlier this year to present the company’s range of green energy solutions, in the form of an export initiative, to respond to South Africa’s renewable-energy needs.

QTE Energy CEO Thomas Eusterwiemann says the company did not expect South Africa’s energy requirements to be so great, but adds that it may be helpful to offer the country – and the continent – a one-off high-quality solution, especially in areas where energy infrastructure has yet to be established.

“To handle these inquiries locally, quickly and competently, an in-country presence was required,” he explains, adding that establishing a QTE branch in South Africa is an important step towards further cooperation between South Africa and Germany in the field of renewable energy.

Heading up the local branch are newly appointed GM Olivia Evans and MD Simon Aldridge, who tells Engineering News that QTE South Africa has already received several inquiries from local companies wanting to implement energy management solutions for their renewable-energy projects.

“We are here to provide viable solutions, suited to the needs of South African companies; to create synergies among local companies; and to provide products and services as an energy company with our partners, like [French multinational industrial conglomerate] Areva, which has a secure presence in the industry,” says Aldridge.

He adds that, while there are many solutions available to the renewable-energy industry in South Africa, QTE Energy’s role, as a German-operated company, is to share information and provide local projects with the latest and most appropriate technology.

Aldridge further mentions that QTE Energy South Africa does not intend to replace diesel power generation, which has become prevalent in South Africa, but rather to significantly cut costs by creating solar hybrid systems.

“Solar hybrid systems will not eliminate the use of diesel altogether, but will support diesel generation by lowering fuel costs,” he says.

Aldridge tells Engineering News that QTE South Africa’s primary service offering is its power plant controller (PPC), a programmable logic controller-based system used to control hybrid power plants, manage the storage of excess energy in a power plant and ensure a constant energy supply for on- and off-grid applications.

The company’s PPC ensures uninterrupted and independent energy supply by seamlessly switching between different energy systems, namely wind turbines, biogas plants, hydro-power plants, diesel-powered generators and photovoltaic systems, as well as combined heat and power plants, which could form part of a hybrid energy plant.

The controller is built using components manufactured by Germany-based decentralised automation technology components manufacturer Wago Kontakttechnik, which, says Aldridge, are universally available to ensure that the PPC can be used worldwide.

“Wago can either replace a [particular] component if it breaks down or manufacture a component according to a client’s specifica-tions,” he says.

Aldridge adds, however, that QTE Energy South Africa’s product and services offering is twofold, as the company can also provide local companies with turnkey solutions, including comprehensive consulting and support services, from the initial concept phase to implementation.