Project: Cheetah Plains
| System type: | Off-Grid |
|---|---|
| Location: | Mpumalanga |
| PV System Size: | 300 kWp |
| Battery System Size: | 1MWh |
| Inverter: | Sungrow |
| Panel: | JA Solar |
| Electricity Generation: | 460 MWh |
| Estimated Co2 savings: | 432t/annum |
| Estimated lifetime benefits: | R38 Million – 20 years |
Cheetah Plains
Cheetah Plains is an award-winning resort in the heart of the Sabi Sands Game Reserve that is powered 24/7 by clean solar power thanks to the collaboration between Blockpower and DHybrid.
The challenge
Cheetah Plains was initially constrained by a single-phase power supply that put out a maximum of 64kVA. This inhibited the upgrading of their facilities.
Transformers were negatively impacted, resulting in considerable damage to the facilities equipment and the transformers.
The Solution
To allow for expansion, a more powerful three-phase power system was implemented with a 150kVA diesel generator backup. A solar PV facility was created with solar tracking, due to limited space for solar panels. Paired with a high-quality Lithium-Ion battery Storage system, Cheetah plains is able to stay up and running 24/7 with power harnessed solely from the sun.
The solution developed by a combination of the South African solar company Blockpower and the German microgrid integrator, DHYBRID, consists of:
- A 150 kVA diesel generator
- A 300 kWp solar panel array
- And a 250 kW/1027 kWh Battery Energy Storage System
The Savings
Cheetah Plains has saved approximately 470MWh of energy to date, with potential savings of 550MWh per year.
