Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS installs solar plants on all campuses, bolstering renewable energy amid continuing power cuts

18 August 2023 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Francois van Vuuren

Bloemfontein Campus Solar Farm — The solar plant on the UFS’s Bloemfontein Campus, part of the university’s commitment to combatting loadshedding and embracing sustainable energy.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has installed solar plants across its three campuses.

The university says this is in response to the call for urgent solutions to loadshedding and the promotion of environmentally sustainable, cleaner, and renewable energy solutions.

Nicolaas Esterhuysen, Director of Engineering Services at UFS University Estates, said,

“The PV (photovoltaic) systems are grid-tied without storage to ensure maximum benefits and faster payback periods.”

Esterhuysen said the UFS has saved up to R32,5 million since the first solar plant was commissioned in 2017 to help the UFS reduce the impact of loadshedding and its carbon footprint and energy costs. “This will substantially increase this year with the commissioning of two large new ground-mounted solar plants on the Bloemfontein Campus,” he said.

“The microgrid installation on Qwaqwa Campus is one of the biggest solar diesel hybrid systems installed in South Africa. It allows us to keep the campus running despite excessive power interruptions.”

The UFS is currently embarking on research as part of the Grid-related Research Group (GRRP) under the Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Futures (ICDF) to also help staff and students with understanding renewable energy and sustainability.

Esterhuysen said the plants are further evidence of the UFS’s commitment to renewable and energy saving solutions. “It is our flagship project, but our focus is also on energy saving initiatives – to ensure we are becoming more energy efficient and eliminate energy wastage. We have plans for expansion on all campuses. Some of the highlights are an off-grid solution for the new student centre at Qwaqwa Campus and to make South Campus a self-sustaining campus.”

The installed grid-tied system solar plants are operating without batteries on all three campuses, giving the university an optimal configuration between capital cost and payback period.

The energy generated at the solar plants:

Bloemfontein Campus – 3688 kWp

Qwaqwa Campus – 918 kWp

South Campus – 759 kWp

Paradys – 125 kWp

News Archive

Dr David Malapo motivates Qwaqwa staff

2009-06-24

Photo: Supplied

If you are not growing, you are dying. These were the words of Dr David Malapo, teacher, pastor, motivational speaker and businessman, who addressed staff members and students from the Qwaqwa Campus as well as members of the community. Mr Billyboy Ramahlele, Director: Diversity, accompanied Dr Malapo to the campus.

Dr Malapo informed staff that it was possible to grow if one had a vision and a passion for what one wanted to achieve, as well as the willingness to take risks. He emphasised that it was necessary to grow, otherwise one would stagnate. “To grow you need to develop skills in active listening, effective communication and productivity,” he said.

According to him, only oneself can make positive decisions towards growth in one’s own life. “When you blame other people, you give up the power to change,” he said.

He also stated that trust was an inevitable element of growth. It means that you have to avoid pre-judging, treat people with respect, share information, admit mistakes and develop a caring attitude.

Both staff and students evaluated these motivational talks as a highlight-event of the first semester on the Qwaqwa calendar.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept