- Midstream, Centurion
- 6 Weeks
Environmental Impact
5 491
Litres of Gasoline
45 040
Trees Saved
8 316 035
Litres of Fuel
What makes this project different?
Some of the key facts about the project that made it very interesting for us as a team, is that this installation was one of the single largest commercial projects that utilised the largest solar panels in the country at the time.
The solar panels that we used were 660W panels sourced from Trinasolar . This meant that by making use of the larger sized solar panels, less panels and less DC cable were required for the coverage area, which reduced losses and generate a better energy output
Project Timeline and Equipment
- Location: Midstream, Centurion
- System Owner: MES (Midstream Electrical Supplies)
- Timeline: 6 weeks
- System Size: 758,4 kWp
- Panels: 1171 total installed
- Trina 660W panels
- 5 State of the art GoodWe 120 kW inverters
- 1 year service level agreement, 15 year warranty on inverters & 25 year warranty on all panels
The Energy Gurus proposals were received and approved for the installation of two solar systems. The one solar system feeds into the south side of the building which is the half that services Spar, Turn & Tender, Vodacom, and some smaller shops. The second substation was installed on the northern side which services the hardware store, Mugg & Bean, the pharmacy and some of the other restaurants.
The total system size of this Midstream project is 758,4 kWp that feeds power into five 120 kW GoodWe inverters.
In the case of the power supply to SuperSpar, the generator on its own is unable to generate sufficient power therefore the solar power provides capacity in terms of a backup power that also supports the generator during the day. For the entire project, 1,171 solar panels were installed, and part of the process also required the team to cut through the tar in order to install PVC pipes that were used to get the DC cables from the roof into the actual substation, and once this process was completed, the tar was replaced.
Some of the key facts about the project that made it very interesting for us as a team, is that this installation was one of the single largest commercial projects that utilised the largest solar panels in the country at the time.
The solar panels that we used were 660W panels sourced from Trinasolar . This meant that by making use of the larger sized solar panels, less panels and less DC cable were required for the coverage area, which reduced losses and generate a better energy output
Since the installation in December 2022, the centre has seen reduced diesel expenses. The Square@Midstream project was the first that The Energy Gurus have undertaken where a fully- fledged, aluminium grid walkway was installed on top of the newly renovated roof. The walkway allows foot traffic between strings of panels which enabled an easy installation on such a large surface and also for future maintenance purposes when access to the roof area is required. Midstream Electrical Supplies (MES) had the new roof installed as part of the long term investment in order to support the maintenance of the solar system.
Within the southern substation, the generator has a transformer which has three inverters, and these three inverters feed into a DB. The power is then transferred into the transformer. We installed an aluminium roof awning to protect the inverters from the sun and weather conditions and the same was done for the DC fuse box. Approximately 12km of DC cable was used to complete the installation, and the total project took the team 11 weeks to complete even throughout the December holiday period.
Disclosure
The Energy Gurus are a South African engineering firm specializing in energy measurement, power quality and renewable solutions. We guide our clients through every step of their energy journey, from initial consultations and system design to installation, maintenance, and ongoing support. Our end-to-end solutions ensure a seamless experience and maximum return on investment for our valued customers.
We measure, analyse and then recommend what is best for the company or end user. We have successfully carried out many turnkey EPCM contracts in the energy sector which makes us flexible to align different service offerings depending on the specific projects’ requirements.
Our engineers consult with our clients to define exactly what is it that they need to start reducing their monthly energy expenditure and costs from day 1.