Engen fuel station in Meadowridge, Cape Town. SUPPLIED.
Engen Petroleum’s official solar provider, SolarSaver, has now installed photovoltaic (PV) solar systems at 150 Engen Petroleum fuel stations across South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, with more going live each month.
With the largest network of service stations in the country, this project is significantly reducing Engen’s reliance on grid power and significantly decreasing its CO₂ emissions as the installations total more than 6 586 kilowatt peak that will produce 12 220 794 kilowatt hours within the first year.
In a move to reduce its carbon footprint and save energy costs, Engen Petroleum aims to install solar PV systems at all Engen-owned fuel stations across South Africa, as well as sites in Botswana and Namibia.
Stu Batchelor, of SolarSaver, said solar can help businesses like fuel service stations to slash their electricity bills and reduce their carbon footprint.
“The fuel stations are able to use solar energy during the day and revert to the national grid at night and during inclement weather conditions,” Batchelor said. “This allows us the ability to save energy and to take pressure off the grid.”
The effective drop in grid energy consumption on a typical Engen site with the new solar PV system installed is about 80 000 kWh per year.
According to Batchelor, service stations offer unique installation spaces for solar PV solutions on both the convenience store roofs and forecourt canopies, which can power multiple aspects of their services, including retail store operations.
“With a solar installation in place, daylight energy requirements like LED lighting, fuel pumps and compressors can be fully met,” Batchelor said.
“In addition, energy for refrigeration and IT infrastructure can be provided by this sustainable energy source, leading to considerable savings on electricity costs.”
SolarSaver currently helps more than 700 major businesses to harness the power of the sun through rent-to-own grid-tied solar solutions or hybrid battery installations that provide an essential backup for when the grid is down.
BUSINESS REPORT