Zibo Containers
Cape Town and Johannesburg
The ambition
Zibo Containers was founded in 1997 in Cape Town and manufactures food containers for the local and international retail markets.
Load shedding (rolling blackouts) has been around since 2017, with no end in sight. Manufacturing is an energy-intensive industry and load shedding has a negative impact on manufacturing volumes. When load shedding occurs, machines are switched off and production stops. Over and above the potential loss of stock, the power disruptions could damage equipment, which can be costly to repair or replace. For manufacturers, these blackouts directly lead to disruptions in production, inefficient application of labour and increasing costs.
The electricity tariff quadrupled in South Africa from 2008 to 2022 in real terms. Considering the state of the national power provider’s debt and infrastructure failures, consumers can likely expect a continuation of above inflation electricity price increases over the next several years. These unmanageable increases pose a serious problem for manufacturers over the long term. In a competitive market, managing expenses is a priority for Zibo Containers.
Zibo Containers demonstrates its commitment to the environment. They are a member of Sedex, an international organisation that helps companies improve their responsible and sustainable business practices, and source responsibly. One of their aims is to “Protect people, the environment and business by proactively identifying and managing risk.” Zibo Containers evaluates products and innovates to find ways of reducing plastic. Reducing the company’s carbon footprint is another demonstration of their ongoing environmental efforts.
The solution
As the experts in solar solutions, RenEnergy recommended bespoke solutions for the Cape Town and Johannesburg operations, taking the business’ needs and goals into account. The solutions were installed on behalf of SolarAfrica, as part of a Power Purchase Agreement. The installations were grid-tied solutions, meaning solar solutions that are connected to the utility power grid.
The layout was configured to maximise available roof spaces, making use of an otherwise passive space. As with a lot of industrial buildings, there were physical characteristics such as roof lights that had to be considered in the design and layout.
3307 solar panels were installed in Johannesburg and 1450 in Cape Town
A system size of 1207kWp in Johannesburg and 529kWp in Cape Town
16 inverters in Johannesburg and 16 inverters in Cape Town
“RenEnergy was appointed for both our facilities in Cape Town and Johannesburg for our solar needs. RenEnergy was part of the project since day 1 and stand out from several other solar competitors. The knowledge and expertise was not missing and they created a clear picture on the outcome of the project. RenEnergy did not give us a sales pitch; they gave solutions with data backing up every answer to our questions. They made us familiar with the unfamiliar solar opportunities that are out there today. RenEnergy fully complied with our Health and Safety regulations, work ethics and company rules. Work was done with no interference to our production and almost went by unnoticeable. Lead times on both projects were in time with no damage to existing roof structure and with above exceptional work quality. Teams, managers and office personal were efficient, friendly and professional making working together a pleasure. RenEnergy’s main focus was the client during the duration of the project and can say with no doubt that we will always be a client of RenEnergy.”
Johan Lund, Project Manager of Zibo Containers
The benefits
Reduced electricity expenditure directly impacts the business’ operational costs
The business significantly reduced its environmental impact and reliance of fossil fuels
The installation provides an outwardly visible display of the business’ commitment to the environment
Through their Power Purchase Agreement, the solution replaces a portion of their daylight energy usage with cost-effective, renewable energy with no capital expense for Zibo Containers
At the time of installation, it was estimated that the Johannesburg solution would contribute 11% of the site’s annual energy spend
An estimated 3042 tonnes of CO2 is saved annually. Imagine 3042 large hot air balloons – that’s what that much CO2 looks like!
CO2
Annual saving of 3042 tonnes. Imagine 3042 large hot air balloons – that’s what that much CO2 looks like!
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