25-08 - Flipbook - Page 16
Mi n i str i es
"In terms of efficiency, they perform about as well as traditional panels."
The energy unit, including an inverter, which converts the power generated by
the panels into useable electricity, and a battery that works when the sun is
not shining, is secured in a large steel box weighing about 300kg that bolts
onto a wall.
The team says this reduces the risk of theft and avoids drawing attention in
high-crime areas.
Shopkeeper Julius Koobetseng recently made the switch to solar that may
have saved his small grocery store.
In a grey beanie hat and thick blue jacket to ward off the cold in the southern
Hemisphere winter, he stacks cans of drink in a brightly lit fridge remembering
how the frequent power cuts nearly wrecked his livelihood.
"Meat would go off, dairy would spoil. Sometimes we'd be without power for
four days," the 43-year-old says.
But since March, his shop in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, has been
using the pay-as-you-go solar power system to keep the lights and fridges on.
Some small business owners have turned to back-up diesel generators but Mr
Koobetseng, who has had his shop for the past 13 years, was drawn to the
more environmentally friendly option.
"Power cuts have badly affected small businesses. I know many in this area
that had to shut down because they couldn't keep up with the uncertainty,"
he says.
"We live month-to-month, depending on what the business brings in. If you
can't guarantee power, how do you even plan for the future?"
Now he does not worry when the power goes out which has been "a huge
relief".
It costs his business $250 a month but Mr Koobetseng's business has picked up
thanks to the reliable power.
"People know my shop stays open even when the power's out. Some just
come to charge their appliances, but while they're here, they buy things too,"
he says with a smile.
For him, the benefit is not about lowering his electricity bills. It is the
consistency.
"Solar gave me back control. I can plan my day knowing I'll have power."
