Photovoltaics

Elegance in Power Production

No moving parts, no steam-driven turbine. Just a pure flow of electrons. Photovoltaic power is without a doubt the most simple and elegant way to produce large amounts of electricity: The sun rises, and electrical production begins. It may seem almost magical, but the science behind photovoltaic panels is relatively straightforward.

PV panels are made up of smaller PV cells. These cells are made of semiconductor material that has a specific quality: When sunlight is absorbed by the material, electrons are dislodged from the material’s atoms. The electrons travel to the surface of the cell and create a flow of current.

The flow of electrons, which is negatively charged, now creates a charge imbalance between the front and the back of the cell. This imbalance creates a voltage potential not unlike the positive and negative terminals of a battery. When conductors are connected to the cells in an electrical circuit, electricity flows.

PV power will play a significant role in our global future: According to IRENA, total installed PV capacity reached an impressive 480.3GW at the end of 2018, with a total of 94.2GW installed during that year alone.

In South Africa, which traditionally has been powered by the coal industry, solar power is just beginning. The country had a total installed capacity of 1329 MW by 2016, with several more large plants having begun construction since then.

With some of the best solar resources worldwide, South Africa is ideally suited to the production of large-scale solar power.

We specialise in the development and design of large-scale PV systems.

Our areas of expertise include:

• Site assessment
• Site securing and contract negotiation
• Solar Resource assessment
• Plant design and optimisation
• Permitting and Approvals

Our projects are situated in areas of only the highest solar resource, reflecting our commitment to investing in the most competitive sites available.