Pinetown vehicle plant goes solar

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20-03-2015
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A Pinetown truck-and bus-chassis assembly plant has just converted its entire operation to solar power.

Not only is the MAN truck and bus plant now capable of operating entirely off solar energy, but it is also the first 100 percent carbon-neutral truck production site in Africa, as well as the first in MAN's global production network.

According to Heiko Kayser, head of production at the assembly plant: "Installation of the solar, or photovoltaic, system began last August, and was completed in less than six months.

"The project forms part of MAN's global climate strategy to reduce carbon emissions at its production sites in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America by 25 percent by 2020."

According to MAN's climate strategy vision, the organisation, "will reduce CO2 emissions by improving energy efficiency, using renewable energy sources (solar, wind, geothermal), generating energy using combined heat and power (CHP) plants and through integrated energy-management technology and organisation."

With its abundant sunshine, Pinetown is a prime location to implement solar energy solutions, and Kayser and his team procured expertise from a KwaZulu-Natal company, Solaray, to design and install the new photovoltaic (PV) system.

"Prior to rolling out the PV project, we refurbished our entire roofing system at a cost of more than R5 million to not only efficiently accommodate the solar panels, but also to install skylights and thermal insulation material to reduce demand for electric lighting and to make our buildings cooler for our operators," Kayser explained.

Of the 10 000 sqm of roofing covering all buildings at the Pinetown plant, 6 300 sqm have been used to accommodate the PV installation. The 580kW system is capable of generating about 810 000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power a year, providing a surplus of energy that can be supplied to the eThekwini grid.

The PV system is linked to a web-based monitoring system that reports daily power consumption as well as electricitycost and CO2 savings.

In addition to the PV system, the assembly plant has also installed a wash bay with a water recycling system which includes an oil-water separator.

The system captures rainwater from the roof, which is stored in tanks alongside the wash bay and is used to not only clean vehicles, but also to test truck cabs for any leaks as they roll off the assembly line.

Apart from the environmental and social benefits, Pinetown's 'green' building will generate impressive financial advantages, Kayser said.

"We have calculated our energy cost-savings for 2015 will be in the region of R1m with a CO2 saving of 860 tons a year. And these figures will improve over the years."

Managing director, Geoff du Plessis, said that being the first heavy commercial vehicle assembly plant in Africa to become fully carbon-neutral, with a surplus supply of electricity to give back to the community, "will give us a distinct competitive advantage in what is a very competitive industry."