The advantage of managed solar solutions: CAPEX-free, hassle-free energy

Southern Africa has abundant sunshine, making solar energy a logical choice for businesses. In light of this, a significant number of solar installers have emerged to meet the growing demand.

However, business owners need to consider both capital investment and the cost of ongoing maintenance and cleaning when selecting a long-term solution, says Lance Green of solar solutions company, SolarSaver.

He says that while most business owners agree that solar installations are a necessary investment, they are seeking to preserve capital in a very challenging economic environment. SolarSaver offers a unique model that addresses both capital and maintenance costs by installing solar photovoltaic solutions on a rent-to-own basis as well as insuring, monitoring and maintaining the systems. Businesses pay only for power produced, at rates considerably less than Eskom.

The concept has proven popular and SolarSaver now manages over 750 installations, the largest fleet of self-financed rooftop installations in southern Africa.

“SolarSaver’s rates can be as much as 50% cheaper than the equivalent cost of grid power, and that translates into significant cost savings for clients,” says Green. “As clients only pay for the cheaper, greener power that is produced, it’s in our interest to ensure these systems are consistently operating at peak performance. The fact that we take care of all monitoring, cleaning and maintenance is a huge advantage for clients.”

He adds that the associated costs for the maintenance and professional cleaning required cannot be underestimated. “While photovoltaic hardware systems are long-lasting, the panels must be kept clean to ensure the system operates at full capacity. The accumulation of fine dirt particles on the surface of the solar photovoltaic panel greatly impacts how much light energy can reach the solar cells.”

Results from SolarSaver installations concur with international studies that show solar panel output is boosted by up to 80% after professional cleaning with de-ionised water. Clients like Tiffany’s Spar, Bosun Group, Sheet Plastic and Halewood showed output improvements of between 30% and 40%. Emalahleni Private Hospital saw a 55.75% increase. Some businesses, in fact, showed over 80% improvement, with Burger King Lynwood Mall coming in at 86.75% and Mtuba Mall boosted by 83.06%.

The frequency of cleaning depends on climatic zones and is largely based on the weather and dust activity level, according to Green. “We’re finding that Gauteng-based businesses require more frequent cleaning than coastal businesses due to the dusty conditions and pollution.”

Regular monitoring and cleaning also ensure any maintenance issues, such as small cracks, can be quickly identified and addressed.

“Our systems are installed at no cost, and SolarSaver electricity tariffs are significantly cheaper than the equivalent cost of grid power, so our clients get to start saving on their electricity bills from day one,” says Green. “When you consider that all subsequent cleaning is included, this really is the CAPEX-free, hassle-free way to take advantage of solar power.”