The Western Cape Energy Council has a new plan to assist municipalities reeling from load shedding, according to BusinessTech.
Alan Winde, the premier of the province, said that the Western Cape Government (WCG) is looking to install containerised solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and battery storage across the province.
‘Our aim with this project is to pilot how we can speedily install containerised solar PV cells with battery storage in these municipalities, which would stop load shedding in these towns.’
‘We would like to see this these projects launched as soon as possible’, said Winde.
Containerised solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and battery storage systems combine solar panels and energy storage units within a portable shipping container.
The solar panels are placed on the roof of the shipping container, and batteries are stored within it – offering mobility and easy installation.
The deployment of these systems forms part of the province’s overarching Western Cape Energy Resilience Programme to end blackouts and – along with other initiatives – position the province as the ‘hub for energy resilience’.
According to Winde, the Western Cape plans to be the first province to ‘beat load shedding’.
Municipalities wishing to take part in this initiative must meet specific criteria, including having the right technical capabilities to embark on the programme.
Other initiatives include:
- The opened-up possibility of 200MW of procured energy from Independent Power Producers (IPPs);
- Allocating R15 million to pay for energy generated by small-scale embedded generators through the feed-in tariff;
- Exploring a “rewards scheme” for citizens and companies that voluntarily shut off their power to help alleviate pressure on the grid.