Phase 1 Success — Now Scale It
Empire Nuts had already installed grid-tie solar in an earlier phase, achieving meaningful electricity cost savings. But with increasing load shedding severity reaching Stage 6, a grid-tie-only system was leaving the production facility vulnerable during outages. Processing operations could not be interrupted — cooling, conveyors, packaging lines, and storage all require continuous power.
Specific pain points:
- Stage 6 load shedding causing direct production losses
- Phase 1 grid-tie system shutting down during Eskom outages
- Cooling and storage systems at risk during extended outages
- Need to scale the energy system alongside business growth
Phase 2 — Hybrid Energy System for Complete Production Resilience
Gentricity designed a Phase 2 expansion that transformed the existing solar investment into a full hybrid energy system:
System specifications:
- 250 kVA hybrid inverter system managing generation, storage, and grid simultaneously
- 370 kWh lithium battery storage — sufficient for extended production continuity
- 88 kWp additional solar panels, expanding total solar capacity
- Intelligent energy management system prioritising production-critical loads
- Generator integration as tertiary backup for extended grid outages
Why this configuration:
- Battery storage eliminates all load shedding downtime for critical production loads
- The 250 kVA inverter handles peak industrial demand during startup surges
- Expanded solar panels charge batteries faster and increase daytime offset
- Phased approach allowed Empire Nuts to expand the system as the business grew
Results (Estimated based on system specifications and industry benchmarks)
| Metric | Estimated Value |
|---|---|
| Load shedding downtime | Zero for critical production loads |
| Total electricity cost reduction | 60–75% combined with Phase 1 |
| Battery backup duration | 4–8 hours full production load |
| Generator run hours reduction | 70–80% vs pre-solar baseline |
| Estimated annual savings | R800,000 – R1,200,000 (combined phases) |
Note: Figures are estimates based on system size and SA commercial solar benchmarks. Actual results may vary.
What This Project Demonstrates
For industrial and food processing facilities:
- A phased approach allows businesses to start with grid-tie and expand to hybrid as the business grows
- 370 kWh battery storage provides the buffer industrial loads require during outages
- Food processing and cold storage operations cannot tolerate power interruptions — hybrid is the right solution
- An existing grid-tie installation can be upgraded to hybrid with the right initial design
Relevant solutions: