GOING OFF-GRID MEANS
NEVER HAVING TO SAY, “SORRY, WE’RE OFFLINE.”
Frustrated by load shedding and power outages, which resulted in costly production losses, FarSoft Solutions, an IT company based in Wellington recently decided to make the move to solar PV. The company commissioned AWPower to design and install an off-grid solar PV system for their company premises.
Installation took place following a thorough investigation and analysis by AWPower, and the system included a 6kW inverter coupled with 8.82kWp of roof-mounted solar PV modules, with battery backup being supplied by a 30kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. This means that the company is relying mostly on solar-generated energy to support its electrical load, with enough battery capacity to support its PC servers during the night when the sun is down. On typical rainy days in winter, the installation’s off-grid management system will automatically connect to the grid when needed, as a supplementary source, thereby ensuring energy security with the added bonus of cost savings.
The system was installed in April and apart from gaining in energy security and savings, it has also assisted FarSoft to drastically reduce their carbon footprint.
FarSoft Director Freddie Roux had the following to say:
“Now that spring has finally sprung with longer daylight hours and more sun, we’re happy to report that the system is running smoothly with no problems or adaptations in work style. As an IT company, we’re dependent on a stable electricity supply. No longer reliant on Eskom and the continuous price increases, at last we don’t have to live/work in fear of electricity outages.”
He adds that both installation and service were executed in a highly professional and ethical manner.
