The meeco Group to install off-grid solar PV and lithium storage system near Luanda
ZUG/LUANDA. In June 2013, a private homeowner living 100 km south of Luanda – Angola, will be among the first ones in the country to live fully off the grid without the use of diesel. Thanks to a solution, developed and installed by The meeco Group and combining solar photovoltaic (PV) energy generation with the latest lithium storage system, the family house will become completely self-sufficient. The Swiss renewable energy group has been in charge of the entire planning, procurement and on-site installation of this project including the logistics.
Last May 2012, Angola’s government announced its intent to invest into more than 130 solar power energy systems in rural regions in order to answer local population needs. “Just like the government, we see a great potential for such combined renewable energy solutions in Angola, and this project is the consequence of several years work in the market” says Peer-Olav Schmidt, meeco’s representative for Portugal and Angola.
The 30 kWp solar PV system, which will be installed on the owner’s plot, will feed its daily power production into an 80 kWh battery. In a region with solar irradiation values close to 1800 kWh/m2, the installation is expected to produce slightly less than 54,000 kWh per year saving thus the equivalent of 26.79 Tons of CO2 emissions per year. “As temperatures in Angola are known for being rather high all year long, we had to go for high-end solar components that will ensure the least losses and the longest operating lifetime” explains Claudio Alberti, Director of Energy and Storage at The meeco Group. Alongside a Durion Lithium energy storage system, 240 Wp Bosch monocrystalline modules mounted on a K2 Systems ground structure in combination with Enercon inverters, were selected for the project.
With this renewable off-grid solution, the private homeowner will replace a 100 kWh fuel generator that has been used until today to cover the energy needs of the house. In order to deliver the components safely, Victoria Lázaro, Head of Procurement at The meeco Group, has managed the preparation of a dedicated 20-foot container and is now coordinating the shipment to Angola.
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