- Energy Partners has commissioned a 3.2 MWp, 3.1 MWh hybrid power project for the Futuregrowth Community Property Fund (“Comprop”) owned Heidelberg Mall in Heidelberg, Gauteng.
The project ensures 24/7 uninterrupted power, significantly reducing total electricity expenditure and offering a compelling value proposition for retail tenants.
EP designed a hybrid system that guarantees peak demand reduction, increases self-consumption from excess solar generation, saves on diesel, and achieves arbitrage savings, better known as load shifting.
The Heidelberg Mall project is unique in that it provides an uninterrupted power supply to the entire mall, handling loads up to 2.5MVA. EP’s proprietary Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) control philosophy and engineering design integrate three power generation sources, creating a robust off-grid solution. The grid serves as a back-up, while the primary sources are solar and diesel generation.
Charl du Plessis, General Manager, EP Power, says, “The rooftop solar system can carry the mall’s full load during the day, and the BESS is sized to ensure autonomy during loadshedding and even unexpected grid failures by means of smart load management and diesel generation.
“The design guarantees zero interruption on full mall load when the grid fails including unexpected grid failures. Additionally, the design protects the entire mall load from voltage fluctuations and other grid power quality issues.”
The control philosophy is fully integrated with various external systems to optimise electricity usage and expenditure. This includes smart load management in the mall on HVAC, weather prediction integration for solar generation forecasting, and loadshedding schedule planning.
The entire system is remotely monitored via real-time dashboards and continuous support from EP’s plant monitoring hub in Bellville, Cape Town.
EP’s asset management team oversees a spectrum of energy solutions including steam boilers, hybrid generation power plants and refrigeration systems.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
