As part of the integrated resource plan (IRP) South Africans will see the development of large solar PV plants in excess of 5 MW that will feed power into the Eskom grid by 2013. Besides the need for large scale PV plants there is also a need for smaller roof top installations: sizes varying from 10 kW to 1 MW depending on the roof area. Many rooftops belonging to businesses, banks, factories and shopping centres have large areas and would be suitable for a rooftop PV installation. The type of installation depends on the roof structure.
IBR roof structures need aluminium mounting reels and brackets for the fastening of the modules. For concrete roof structures there is a new free standing knubix aerodynamic structure which is light weight and self-supporting without roof penetration. The installation time for a 30 kW system is approximately two weeks. Besides the modules and the mounting structures there are other components required such as DC cabling and grid tied DC inverters to convert the DC power generated by the solar modules to AC. This power can then be fed into the internal power supply of the building. To avoid feeding the PV energy into the Eskom grid the system should be designed so that own consumption is higher than the power produce by the PV plant. As an option there are data communication systems available which record the solar radiation and the power the PV plant produces per day. This information can be transmitted via Ethernet and GSM to an information centre.
The investment into a rooftop PV can help companies to combat spiralling electricity prices, the recently announced tax benefits for commercial PV installations makes it even more appealing.
Cutting-edge plastic e-chain protects cables in cleanrooms igus
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
igus has developed the C6 cleanroom energy chain with an e-spin guide system that allows abrasion-resistant cable travel over distances of up to 30 metres without generating the microparticles that standard energy chains produce.
Read more...Energy chains transform Durban ship loader productivity igus
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
South African Bulk Terminals has installed a 140 m opposing energy chain system from igus to improve the management of cables used in the operation of two of its massive ship loaders.
Read more...Rittal’s flat-pack enclosure solution Rittal
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
The launch of Rittal’s FR IT flat-pack enclosure earlier this year marked a milestone for the company, introducing the local market to a high-capacity, top-tier IT enclosure in a convenient and cost-effective flat-pack format for the first time.
Read more...Reliable connectivity for the food and beverage industry LAPP Southern Africa
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
The food and beverage industry operates in one of the most demanding industrial environments where hygiene, efficiency and reliability are critical to daily operations. To support these growing industry demands, LAPP has introduced a new generation of sensor cordsets designed to perform in challenging food and beverage environments.
Read more...Safety-critical fibre optic systems in mining Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
Omniflex highlights the importance of fibre optic technology in in enabling systems in the mining industry to transmit shutdown commands reliably over tens of kilometres and verify that they have been executed.
Read more...Compact integration of 3A and 4A connectors
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
With the new AT-HA grommet, icotek is expanding its innovative IMAS-CONNECT adapter system with a forward-looking solution for industrial use.
Read more...Space-saving I/O module for control cabinets ifm - South Africa
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
The IO-Link I/O module from ifm simplifies integration of sensors and actuators with conventional wiring in the control cabinet as well as in field applications with low IP protection class requirements.
Read more...The future of industrial connectivity LAPP Southern Africa
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
Designed to meet the demands of modern industry, the EPIC DATA RJ45 connector from LAPP delivers a combination of durability, performance and versatility suited to demanding industrial environments.
Read more...Hybrid connectors for distributed automation Beckhoff Automation
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
Beckhoff’s ECP and ENP connector series combine power with signal and data communication by means of One Cable Automation (OCA) and thus significantly reduce cabling work.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version