Energy company Energy Partners (EP) has successfully delivered a 3.2 MW, 3.1 MWh hybrid power project for the Futuregrowth Community Property Fund- (Comprop-) owned Heidelberg Mall, in Gauteng.

The company says this project ensures 24/7 uninterrupted power, significantly reducing total electricity expenditure and offering a compelling value proposition for retail tenants.

EP designed a hybrid system that it says guarantees peak demand reduction, increases self-consumption from excess solar generation, saves on diesel and achieves arbitrage savings, better known as loadshifting.

EP CEO Manie de Waal notes that the project is another step in an already proven partnership with Comprop, which began in 2018.

"Our ongoing collaboration with Comprop has been instrumental in driving substantial energy savings and lowering operational costs across their property portfolio. Over the past seven years, we’ve successfully implemented more than 13 MW across 11 properties,” he says.

The Comprop portfolio, he says, has experienced consistent on-target generation performance, owing to EP’s maintenance and real-time monitoring. 

EP describes the Heidelberg Mall project as unique, noting that it provides an uninterrupted power supply to the entire mall, handling loads up to 2.5 MVA. 

The company says its proprietary battery energy storage system (BESS) control philosophy and engineering design integrate three power generation sources, creating a robust offgrid solution.

The grid serves as a back-up, while the primary sources are solar and diesel generation.

“The rooftop solar system can carry the mall’s full load during the day and the BESS is sized to ensure autonomy during loadshedding and even unexpected grid failures by means of smart load management and diesel generation,” explains EP power GM Charl du Plessis.

“The design guarantees zero interruption on full mall load when the grid fails, including during unexpected grid failures. Additionally, the design protects the entire mall load from voltage fluctuations and other grid power quality issues.”

The company notes that the control philosophy is fully integrated with various external systems to optimise electricity use and expenditure. This includes smart load management in the mall on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; weather prediction integration for solar generation forecasting; and loadshedding schedule planning.

The entire system is remotely monitored through real-time dashboards and continuous support from EP’s plant monitoring hub in Bellville, Cape Town. 

Moreover, EP’s asset management team oversees a spectrum of energy solutions including steam boilers, hybrid generation power plants and refrigeration systems.

With the rapid deployment of embedded generation in almost every industry in South Africa, EP says its partnership with Comprop has proven key to the success in its energy asset portfolio.

“The ability to continuously trade and reduce energy costs over the long term will result in better long-term value in our properties relative to our competitors.

“Not only is EP assisting us in delivering a cutting-edge hybrid power system that will enhance returns for our investors, but it will reduce our carbon footprint at the same time,” says Comprop fund manager Smital Rambhai.

De Waal notes that successful deployment hinges on the level of support after commissioning. 

“We’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve for Comprop so far. But the Heidelberg Mall hybrid generation project is truly groundbreaking, and it unlocks the possibility of securing energy supply across their entire portfolio. That’s exciting stuff,” he concludes.