South Africa's biggest solar farm compared to the rest of the world

[Jan]

Biggest solar farm in South Africa vs the World

South Africa's largest solar farm by capacity has only about 6.4% of the maximum potential output of the world's biggest solar plant.

Even though South Africa has an abundance of sunshine, Eskom does not have any utility-scale solar installations.

 

[Tullabardine]

Solar is not the answer in any way, shape or form.

 

[G.A.S]

At that scale you don't use batteries, but pumped hydro storage...

 

[Johand]

Solar is not the answer in any way, shape or form.

It is 99% of the answer in any case

Solar is not booming because of green reasons - it is booming because it is so ridiculously cheap.

 

[Enzo Matrix]

Solar is not the answer in any way, shape or form.

Straight onto the ignore list

 

[Johand]

Biggest solar farm in South Africa vs the World

South Africa's largest solar farm by capacity has only about 6.4% of the maximum potential output of the world's biggest solar plant.

Even though South Africa has an abundance of sunshine, Eskom does not have any utility-scale solar installations.

I think when you talk about solar parks you have to compare it to Scatec's Kenhardt complex. It is "3 plants in close proximity" very much like the solar "parks" and it tops out at 540MWp.

 

[Tullabardine]

Straight onto the ignore list

Exactly why you say what you do......

Have you calculated what it would cost to solve SA's electricity problems through solar ?

Obviously not !

I am not saying it it is wrong to use solar or to install solar, everyone is focusing on solar but actually solving anything, just prolonging.

It would make a bigger impact if we outlaw Electric Stoves, Kettles and Geysers.

Anyway ignore all you like.

 

[Charles Butcher]

Biggest solar farm in South Africa vs the World

South Africa's largest solar farm by capacity has only about 6.4% of the maximum potential output of the world's biggest solar plant.

Even though South Africa has an abundance of sunshine, Eskom does not have any utility-scale solar installations.

 

[Charles Butcher]

The thieving anc cadre affirmative action bbeee tenderpreneurs will STEAL IT ALL.

 

[wingnut771]

At that scale you don't use batteries, but pumped hydro storage...

Not everyone has the luxury of pumped hydro topography.

 

[Lupus]

At that scale you don't use batteries, but pumped hydro storage...

With that massive amount of water abundance we have in South Africa?

 

[Thestealth]

Maybe there's a market for selling hydro back to the municipality. Our borehole pump isn't doing anything during the day, mostly because of load shedding

 

[G.A.S]

With that massive amount of water abundance we have in South Africa?

I don't think that is a problem here yet... any and all grid-scale solar is immediately consumed :-(

 

[Jan]

I think when you talk about solar parks you have to compare it to Scatec's Kenhardt complex. It is "3 plants in close proximity" very much like the solar "parks" and it tops out at 540MWp.

We're following up about why it's not on the IPP database.

 

[Sapphiron]

Not everyone has the luxury of pumped hydro topography.

SA is actually one of the better prospects along existing waterways.

 

[wingnut771]

SA is actually one of the better prospects along existing waterways.

Cheaper to buy batteries surely?

 

[Yskasmetnstoof]

Solar is not the answer in any way, shape or form.

The whole world seems to disagree with you. Are you from earth?

 

[Yskasmetnstoof]

With that massive amount of water abundance we have in South Africa?

Got a huge coastline.

 

[Johand]

We're following up about why it's not on the IPP database.

Because I think that was not done under the Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme but under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (includes gas and other non-renewables) . Kenhardt is dispatchable because of the battery storage. (I had to Google the acronyms because it gets confusing.)

I also think the Kenhardt contract size is smaller than the built size.

 

[K3NS31]

Solar is not the answer in any way, shape or form.

Not to feed the troll, but in case anybody is actually curious - this calculation has been done several times by different people and research groups - solar is definitely the answer for the entire world. Even the far Northern hemisphere countries with their pitiful amounts of daily sun can make it work with enough battery backup.

Just need to do a little Googling and you'll see.