Gauteng shopping centre boasts largest rooftop PV installation in Africa

15th January 2016 By: Anine Kilian - Contributing Editor Online

Gauteng shopping centre boasts largest rooftop PV installation in Africa

Development company Hyprop’s regional shopping centre, Clearwater Mall, in Johannesburg, Gauteng, has tripled the generation output of its solar photovoltaic (PV) plant by adding an additional 1000 kWp to the system.

The mall currently has the largest rooftop PV system in Africa.

Hyprop collaborated with City Power Johannesburg on the installation.

“Owing to electricity constraints in the country, City Power encourages its customers, who are able to venture into alternative energy sources to do so as it would bring relief to the constrained grid, while enabling economic activity to flourish,” said City Power spokesperson Yumna Sheik.

Sheik added that the collaboration falls within the ambit of initiatives that City Power has identified as a means to alleviate the impact of load-shedding in Johannesburg.

The first phase of the PV plant was installed last year.

The system generates 2 500 000 kWh of electricity a year and the PV panels cover an area of 12 000 m2, saving 3 000 t/y and reducing carbon emissions by 2 500 t/y.

“The additional 1 000 kWp will help mitigate the impact of continually rising electricity costs, as well as assist in the reduction of Hyprop’s carbon footprint, in line with the primary objectives of our environmental strategy,” Hyprop CEO Pieter Prinsloo said at the launch.

He added that Hyprop’s primary investment in solar power for Clearwater Mall is the first step of the green solutions that will be rolled out at its other shopping centres.