Climate Action 2011-2012

Suntech provided a complete hybrid
solution for a NGO project in Uganda.
© Sarah Bones
SEGA Girls School, Tanzania.
© Suntech
CreaTing an effeCTive hybrid
SoluTion
Diesel powered generating systems need to run nearly
constantly, taxing the electrical generating equipment
leading to expensive repairs and elevated maintenance costs.
This is the primary means of generating electricity for most
off-grid regions.
Pairing a photovoltaic system with the diesel generator
creates a system which can provide a stable and sustainable
energy supply. The solar panels both provide power and a
charge for the batteries during the day. The diesel generation
can provide a strong source of power, especially during the
night or on cloudy days. Solar’s strength, however, is that it
mirrors the peak demand curve of electricity consumption:
solar provides the most power when it is most needed.
This whole process can reduce the amount of diesel used
by approximately 60 per cent over the course of a year,
substantially reducing fuel and maintenance costs. By the
second year of operating a hybrid diesel system of this type,
the savings from reduced fuel costs already provide a return
on the investment of the system.
Hybrid power generation can make a large impact in the
life of a local community. These systems can be incorporated
into the existing diesel generation equipment of homes,
hospitals or businesses. A hybrid mix can provide a stable,
affordable and sustainable solution for these areas, one that
reduces costs, noise pollution and is much safer to transport.
Mali, a landlocked country in Western Africa, sought
just such a solution to reduce its costs and provide
backup protection for its off grid water pumping station
in Ouelessebougou city in the Koulikoro region of the
country. The site originally had two diesel generators
which together were able to generate 440 kW of electricity
(220 kW each) to power the water pumping station and
scores of surrounding houses. A 216 kWp solar panel
installation was added to the existing system in order to
provide additional power and reduce the operating expenses
of the diesel system; the operating time of the diesel
generators was reduced by 75 per cent. The Mali
government was very enthusiastic about the success of the
project, hoping to implement similar solutions in other areas
of the country.
One product that Suntech has developed is the “Megawatt
in a box”. This solution can be put together and transported
in one or two shipping containers. Delivered on site, it can
easily be set up and quickly generate power. It can also be
combined into a hybrid system as well. A version of this
solution was used in Uganda for an NGO organisation
with great success. This type of complete system, which
can be customised based on the amount of energy needed
as well as the specific requirements for the project, can be
an important answer for off-grid power. A “Megawatt in
a box” could be shipped to remote locations where grid
infrastructure is lacking or areas where a quick solution to
power generation challenges is necessary.
As over half the world’s solar markets move past grid
parity in the next three years, solar power will become
the radical energy solution transforming people’s lives,
especially off the grid. Suntech will continue to provide the
creative, cutting edge solutions to power an unlimited
energy future for the entire world.
Dr Zhengrong Shi is Founder, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Suntech. From 1995 to
2001, he was a research director and executive
director of Pacific Solar Pty Ltd, an Australian
PV company engaged in the commercialization
of next-generation thin film technology. From
1992 to 1995, he was a senior research scientist and the leader of
the Thin Film Solar Cells Research Group in the Centre of Excellence
for Photovoltaic Engineering at the University of New South Wales in
Australia. Dr Shi is the inventor of 15 patents in PV technologies.
Dr. Shi received a bachelor’s degree in optical science from
Changchun University of Science and Technology in China in 1983,
a master’s degree in laser physics from the Shanghai Institute of
Optics and Fine Mechanics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences in
1986, and a Ph.D degree in electrical engineering from the University
of New South Wales in Australia in 1992.
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd
No.9 Xinhua Lu, New District Wuxi, China
Tel: +86 510 8531 8888
101 climateactionprogramme.org