The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is set to become “grid positive”, thanks to the electricity it harnesses from 4450 solar panels which have been installed on the roofs of several on-campus buildings and carports since 2020.
The university says this project demonstrates its commitment to environmental sustainability while helping to reduce electricity demand on the national power grid.
“The photovoltaic system produces over 1700 kW of electric power and could produce as much as 4 343 500 kWh of renewable energy annually. This is nearly 9% of the 48 866 044 kWh of energy consumed across the university’s four campuses every year”, says Mbambeleli Masala, the project manager of sustainability at UJ.
Masela points out that the university seeks projects which are innovative for both university operations and for research purposes. “Installing solar power not only provides learning opportunities for our students, saves money by reducing the power bill, but that is also a step towards achieving the country’s climate goals as it also reduces carbon emissions.”
The solar initiative was rolled out with the support of Renewable Circle Solutions and Cronimet Mining Power Solutions (RCSOL), as an addition to their sustainability services in energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling.
Contact Luyanda Ndaba, University of Johannesburg, Tel 011 559-9020, luyandan@uj.ac.za
