SunRanch Solar is pleased to announce the installation at Prime Co Meat Wholesalers of a hybrid, grid tied Solar System integrating grid power with:

• A 436kWp Solar System;
• A 500/400 HV+ Battery System; and
• An 800kVa Generator

Whether you’re new to the world of solar power and searching for the best energy solution for your business, or already have a PV system installed, the addition of a Battery Energy Storage Solution (BESS) can make a tremendous difference in the efficiency and versatility of your electrical supply.

KEY DESIGN FEATURES OF THE SYSTEM ARE:

Client:
Prime Co Meat Wholesalers.

Main Business:
Sources meat products from top and approved suppliers all over South Africa and distributes them to retail and supermarkets outlets.

Location:
Centrally located between Pretoria and Brits.

Project Description:
SunRanch Solar’s first three phases of installation at Prime Co consisted purely of grid-tied PV systems amounting to a total installation capacity of 436kWp DC side and 374kVA AC. In addition to the grid-tied PV, generator integration was also completed to allow the PV system to reduce total load on the generator during loadshedding or power outages. Following this, a battery backup system was installed to serve a multitude of purposes – primarily to perform what is referred to as peak-shaving where the battery is discharged during peak-hours. Other purposes of the BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) are to provide emergency backup power during power outages as well as to act as an industrial scale ‘UPS’ to mitigate the need for generator usage during loadshedding as far as possible – further reducing diesel and maintenance costs for Prime Co.

Installed Plant and Equipment:
Solar Modules Size: JA Solar 540w;

System Operation:
The hybrid system comprises of multiple components working in tandem. The system operates through an upgraded third-party plant controller capable of providing setpoints to the grid-tied inverters, providing start and stop signals to the site generator, managing battery charge levels and charging hours as well as autonomously discharging the battery during peak tariff times in order to achieve peak savings. Furthermore, the generator is wired to a redundancy manual changeover and to a generator port in the ATESS Bypass cabinet, in conjunction with the grid supply from the municipality. The grid-tied systems are configured in an AC-coupled design, mitigating the need to reroute the PV AC supply cables through the Bypass cabinet. With this configuration, SunRanch Solar was able to provide reliable energy from multiple energy sources ranging from solar, batteries, generator power as well as grid power from the municipality.

BESS provides reliable and cheaper electricity in isolated grids and to off-grid communities, which otherwise rely on expensive diesel fuel for electricity generation.

Uses of BESS:

• Provide Ancillary Services - Short injections of energy to regulate frequency and voltage and adds to grid stability;
• Provide Power Services - Spare energy capacity when required;
• Used as Reliable Transmission Asset to avoid or delay building very costly infrastructure.