One of the early decisions we faced when building Oase was determining our power source. Being in a somewhat remote location, connecting to a nearby power line was not a straightforward option. In fact, there wasn't even a street nearby. The closest available utility power was 2 kilometers away on a neighboring property, which presented several challenges.
First, the available power was limited. The connection point was an old farmhouse built in the 70s with a low-capacity connection. Second, since the connection point was on a property we didn’t own, we would need permission from both the utility company and our neighbor to install the necessary infrastructure. Lastly, bringing the power from the utility service point to our location required digging a 2-kilometer trench through rocky terrai
n, which posed significant logistical and financial challenges.
Moreover, the national utility provider, Eskom, has struggled to provide consistent power due to load shedding, sometimes up to 8 hours a day. In the hospitality industry, frequent and extended power outages are unacceptable.
Thus, we decided to turn to solar power. While solar energy comes with its own challenges, such as cost, sizing, weather dependency, and management, it was the most viable solution. Although the costs of solar systems have significantly decreased over the past decade, the system needed for Oase was substantial.
Solar power systems typically categorize loads into critical (e.g., refrigeration, lighting, communications) and noncritical (e.g., TVs, air conditioning). Given the climate, air conditioning is essential at Oase, where temperatures can exceed 45°C for weeks. However, air conditioning demands considerable energy, even with the most efficient models, making the solar solution more complex.
During the initial design phase, we anticipated that our power needs would grow, so we doubled the initial estimates for the main solar system. This oversized system met our needs for the first 1-2 years, but soon proved insufficient. In the four and a half years since installation, we expanded the main system and added secondary systems to several guest suites, the kitchen, cinema, and staff village.
Our solar setup now includes over 400 panels, generating nearly 1 MWh per day. Since the sun only shines during the day, we store the bulk of the energy in large battery banks, providing power from late afternoon through the night until sunrise. Our total storage capacity now exceeds 350 kWh.
On cloudy days or during extended periods without sunlight, our solar system doesn't produce enough power. To address this, we have backup generators that automatically activate to power the lodge and recharge the batteries. We minimize generator use to reduce noise pollution,
carbon emissions, and fossil fuel costs.
Our entire power system is managed by advanced AI software from AI Energy, which oversees solar generation, consumption, and generator usage to ensure a continuous and efficient power supply.
Comments