Redefine invests R106m in Cape Town rooftop solar wheeling project
Written on
Redefine Properties has put R106 million into a 7.014 MWp rooftop solar plant at Brackengate that wheels power across Cape Town’s municipal grid to Kenilworth Centre, Blue Route Mall and the Towers office precinct.
Redefine Properties has invested R106 million in a 7.014 MWp rooftop solar facility in Cape Town, using the City of Cape Town’s municipal electricity grid to supply renewable energy to three properties in its portfolio and cut reliance on conventional power.
The project, based at the Massmart Distribution Centre in Brackengate, generates 9,889 MWh of renewable electricity a year for Kenilworth Centre, Blue Route Mall and the Towers office precinct. It is expected to avoid about 9,645 tonnes of carbon emissions annually and operates under a 20-year commitment.
Redefine chief operating officer Leon Kok said the project allows the group to manage energy across its property portfolio more efficiently. “By using the capacity of one asset to support others, we’re creating a more efficient and resilient portfolio,” he said.
The installation is the first purpose-built rooftop solar wheeling project of its kind within the city’s municipal grid and forms part of Cape Town’s wheeling pilot programme. Wheeling allows electricity generated at one property to be fed into the grid and allocated to other properties, so commercial property owners can match generation with demand across different assets.
The facility comprises 11,691 solar panels across roughly 57,000 square metres of rooftop space. Connected to the municipal network at the Rubicon Substation, it required a dedicated mini-substation building, an inverter station and a transformer yard, and uses about 300km of cabling with 2km of rooftop walkways for maintenance access.
City mayoral committee member for energy Alderman Xanthea Limberg said the project demonstrated how municipal infrastructure and private-sector investment can support the city’s energy strategy. “The city’s pooled wheeling facility represents a decisive leap forward in advancing the bold vision set out in our 2050 Energy Strategy,” she said.