Maintaining Production during Load Shedding Power Outages
Manufacturing and Mining operations in South Africa, as with most business entities, struggle with power outages and load shedding challenges which impact profitability as well as basic operational safety. Energy reliability and resilience are critical to the continued viability of all types of business. Most sites have already installed powerful fuel guzzling Diesel generators – Gensets. These are designed and specified to cope with the massive maximum Current and Amperages experienced on site. Typically, the actual power requirement is much lower than the optimal operating load on the Generator, resulting in reduced efficiency and additional wear on the combustion system owing to prolonged operation at lower electrical load demand.
Solution: Solar PV panels
Solar PV (Photovoltaic) deployment is the proven to be the most cost-effective option for the reduction of overheads with most attractive ROI (Retorn On Investment) results. Solar Renewable Energy is reliable and predictable based on historical weather patterns. Predicted electrical output and generation trends can be scientifically simulated in combination with the Inverter, Solar Panel and site specifics, providing solid energy and financial savings.
Challenge: Weather variations
While annual savings are predictable, daily operational challenges are inevitable when the sunshine is intermittent or hourly weather events affect Solar energy generation. Grid-Tied Solar PV systems rely on the presence of the grid to synchronise output and stabilise inverter operation. What happens when the Solar output exceeds the current demand? Perhaps during factory operational breaks at lunchtime or a temporary drop in demand on-site. Grid feed-in is one way to stabilise the PV generation. But what happens if there is not grid available? Load-shedding.
Ultimate Renewable Energy Solution – Hybrid Solar Storage with Genset Integration
For the ultimate solution for Energy resilience and maximum grid independence, the full Hybrid Solar System and Battery Energy Storage in combination with Generator Integration is the answer! The DC generating Solar PV system and AC Inverters combine with the availability of the grid to provide for all active loads. The Battery Storage banks are ready to power the shortfall when intermittent weather events occur, such as cloudy or rainy times of the day. When the battery becomes depleted, the generators may be automatically called into operation to match the dynamic power demands., while refilling the battery simultaneously. The Genset unit sized is now to functioning at optimal performance and rev-range efficiency to save on diesel consumption. On some sites, it is practical to activate two different sizes in a cascade effect. Depending on the dynamic power demand and SOC (State Of Charge) of the Battery Storage, the system will choose which generator to activate (smaller or larger), in order to optimise the diesel consumption.
Blue Sky Renewable Energy will make a full site assessment and design the most effective system to meet your individual energy needs.
The schematic below is one such example of the diverse component options available
All systems can be scaled to meet your individual needs, whether residential estate or mining facility Blue Sky Renewable Energy is component agnostic and will Engineer Procure and Construct (EPC) the best solution to meet your specific needs and financial budget.
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