Raats Family Wines
Stellenbosch
The ambition
Rising gracefully from the vineyards in Polkadraai Hills Stellenbosch, Raats Family Wines stand in celebration of the unique dolomite granite soil of this tiny ward. Founded in 2000 by visionary winemaker Bruwer Raats, in partnership with his cousin Gavin Bruwer Slabbert, Raats Family Wines specialise in Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc and has been crafting soil-driven wines of exceptional quality ever since.
Under the hot Stellenbosch sun, a need was identified for shaded parking on the premises. Ever aware of their responsibility towards the natural environment, Raats Family Wines decided to use the opportunity to replace some of their Eskom power consumption with clean, green energy.
The solution
Analysis of energy consumption data informed the size and design of the solution. Importantly, the physical size of the panels impacted on the design of the steel frames, taking into account the number of parking bays that could fit between supports, as well unencumbered opening of vehicle doors.
The physical environment always plays a role in design. In this instance, the 74,4m² surface area could be placed where there is minimal shading impact, optimising the energy yield. With a North East orientation and 10% inclination, this solution is able to generate 1460kWh per year.
15kWp
Total installed capacity
45
Solar panels installed
28kWh
Battery capacity
1
Inverter installed
“Installing the carport at Raats Family Wines was a great proof of concept for us. We wanted to expand our local offering and this was a perfect demonstration of how our international expertise benefits our clients. We tapped into the technical expertise of our UK team, who had successfully installed many high-quality carport energy generation and electronic vehicle charging solutions of varying sizes, to design and install this solution for Raats Family Wines locally.”
Claude Peters, Managing Director, RenEnergy Africa
The benefits
Reduced reliance on national power provider
Surplus energy generation is captured in the onsite energy storage to provide secure 24/7 renewable energy
Reduced electricity expenditure directly impacts the business’ operational costs
The business is reducing their environmental impact and reliance of fossil fuels
The installation provides a visible display of the winery’s commitment to the environment
1525kg CO2 savings per year. For the capture of this much CO2, over a thousand trees must grow for a year
CO2
Annual saving
of 1525kg.
For the capture of this much CO2, over a thousand trees must grow for a year
Note that all estimated performance figures are calculated using industry-standard systems and norms, assume ideal operating conditions, and would have been estimated as at the time of the installation. CO2 equivalent analogies source