Solar and wind as alternative power sources

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IBG - SA Instrumentation & Control Buyers' Guide

April 2015 News

By Shane Kilfoil, managing director, Eaton Africa.

The crisis in electricity supply in South Africa has left consumers across the country concerned as the year moves into winter. With the current situation unsustainable, many are looking outside the box for a solution to their energy supply problems.

Solar and wind energy deployment based on the South African Renewable Initiative (SARi) has begun, but it needs to be accelerated in order to reduce dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources have been shown to be cost effective – a study by the CSIR showed that renewable energy contributed R5,3 billion to the economy, while the tariff payments to independent power producers of the first wind and photovoltaic (PV) projects were only R4,5 billion, leaving a net benefit of R0,8 billion.

One of the key advantages of renewable energy is that with the right support mechanisms, it is extremely fast to deploy. Eaton is a specialist in photovoltaic switching and protection, and understands the continued need to reduce risk and minimise the costs of solar power generation. Eaton devices are incorporated in over 25 GW of PV installations worldwide, helping to ensure that electricity flows safely and reliably wherever the sun is shining.

So when it comes to large scale PV plants, Eaton knows that it is critical to provide current and voltage protection for the entire life of the installation. This knowledge has shaped the development of the Bussmann combiner box range, which provides a scalable, robust solution that meets both the present and future needs of multiple string PV systems, and which is produced locally by Eaton at its Wadeville manufacturing plant.

Fully customisable, the Bussmann combiner box range provides DC system protection from small 3-string units up to large 24-string units with full system monitoring. Suitable for systems up to 1000 VDC and 630 A, each combiner box is manufactured to meet the customer’s unique specifications. Compliant to IEC standards IEC 61439-1, IEC 61439-2 and IEC 60364-7-712 and tested by TÜV Rheinland, Bussmann combiner boxes have already provided thousands of accumulated MWh protection in PV systems around the world.

South Africa’s demand for electricity will continue to grow in the coming years and it is increasingly clear that accelerating the roll out of renewable energy is a viable way to help meet the country’s needs. To keep the lights on this year and in the longer term we need to look beyond existing power sources by leveraging our natural assets and expanding the use of energy generated from renewable power.

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Solar and wind as alternative power sources

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