The Panorama Veterinary Clinic & Specialist Centre has reduced its electricity grid usage by 17% through the use of alternative energy generation recently installed by Energy Partners Home Solutions.
Cala van der Westhuizen, Head of Marketing and Sales at Energy Partners Home Solutions, a division of Energy Partners and part of the PSG group of companies, explains that the clinic, which offers a 24 hour Emergency Service, had previously been paying at least R20 000 per month in electricity costs.
“In addition, their consumption often exceeded their breaker limit which caused power outages and sporadic tripping of the power supply.”
Panorama Veterinary Clinic & Specialist Centre is currently the only facility to offer specialist surgical services in the Western Cape, which is why restoring power reliability and saving on operating costs were imperative, explains van der Westhuizen.
“The clinic made contact with Energy Partners in the beginning of 2017 with the objectives to reduce its electricity bill, lower its impact on the environment, increase supply capacity and to add to the value of the business.”
Van der Westhuizen explains that Energy Partners Home Solutions conducted an in-depth analysis into the specific requirements of the facility and determined that a 25kW 3 phase SMA Inverter and 17.2 kWp polycrystalline solar panels would provide the best results.
“After we installed the new system, the facility’s municipal electricity bill reduced by an average of R3 565 per month and CO2 emissions were cut by about 25 tonnes per year. More importantly, the team was able to increase the electricity supply capacity of the clinic by up to 25% during peak solar production, which means that future power outages due to overloading could be eliminated.”
Van der Westhuizen adds that embarking on a renewable and reliable energy solution was a big challenge for the clinic due to the high cost.
“The total cost of the required system was R306 666, and although this was a good investment, it would have impacted the clinic’s cash flow significantly. Through Energy Partners innovative financing options the clinic is now able to lease the system for the first year and pay it off over several instalments, which meant that they did not require any capital upfront.”
Finally, Van der Westhuizen points out that the system offers one more significant advantage.
“There are also tax incentives for installing renewable energy solutions. Depending on the size of the system, businesses like this one are able to deduct the cost of the technology from their taxes for the first year of its operation.”
Erica Kotze, Practice Manager at Panorama Veterinary Clinic says that going green has been a significantly positive step for the clinic.
“Working with animals, it was very important for us to also look at our own carbon footprint. We wanted to become more self-sufficient and reduce our dependence on the grid. At the same time, we have to have power available 24 hours of the day. The solution that Energy Partners installed for us gave us the best of both options.”
She adds that the team also made the installation and transition process as seamless as possible.
“We have animals undergoing operations, receiving x-rays and in intensive care. We simply could not have any disruptions or afford to have chaos here. The Energy Partners team made sure that the communication was clear and we were well informed throughout the entire process. They were also not intrusive and we hardly knew they were here for the duration of the project. The entire experience has been a positive one for us,” Kotze says.
“Renewable energy has become more reliable and affordable than ever before. Homeowners and small businesses alike are encouraged to research and consider the possibilities of installing alternative generation on their properties to reap the benefits,” Van der Westhuizen concludes.
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