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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

Kovsies play hockey across the country

2010-03-01

Pictured: Cherie Smith
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

The men’s and women’s hockey teams of the University of the Free State (UFS) recently played against some of the best university hockey teams in the country. The Kovsies (first team) and Reds (second team) played impressively against Tukkies, Pukke and the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) hockey teams.

“Unfortunately the Kovsie teams couldn’t beat Tukkies. The women lost 2-3 and then the men also lost 1-3,” says Frans van der Watt, assistant director and hockey coach at Kovsiesport.

After this, the UFS stood their ground against Pukke. Kovsies’ women’s team played to a draw with 2 each. The men’s team triumphed 2-1.

Next up was UJ and this time Kovsies really did us proud. Both the Kovsies and the Reds’ great games led to triumphs. The Reds won with an impressive score of 3-0 and the Kovsies won 2-0 against UJ’s best.

For the men’s team the challenge was a somewhat bigger. “The Reds played to a draw at 2-2 and the Kovsies lost 1-4 against an incredibly strong team of UJ,” says Van der Watt.

Kovsies’ men’s and women’s teams are currently ranked ninth and eighth on the list of the best university teams. The women’s teams in particular are making their mark with their victory over UJ and their impressive game against Pukke.
- Lize du Plessis

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