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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

Student organisation tackles difficult questions in debate
2012-05-12

 

At the debate were, from the left: Danie Jacobs, Head of the Centre for Business Dynamics, Mhlanganisi Madlongolwana, Nombuso Ndlovu and Prof. JP Landman.
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar

 

“South Africa is consumed by a monster, namely the lack of critical thinking and dialogue with regard to our problems. Now is the time to make radical changes.” This is according to Nombuso Ndlovu, who spoke at the first debate in a series of Commercio and the UFS Business School.

“Young people are more interested in social gatherings than applying their minds to the problems of South Africa,” she said. Nombuso is the CEO of Commercio.

Commercio is the student organisation in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Two teams, one positive and one negative, debated the topic: Is South Africa’s current economic direction viable?

What emerged from the debate was that our students are well-aware of what is going on in our economy and that people cannot just sit back and expect government to deliver. Every individual has a responsibility. South Africa has a “democratic deficit” society, a “corruption-stricken economy” and “economic activism” is necessary to get the economy on the right path.

Prof. JP Landman, Visiting Professor at the Business School, economic advisor, analyst, columnist and also managing director of the Aardklop Arts Festival, was the expert panel member. He said the critical issue in South Africa is “how do you distribute wealth while keeping things going?”

“It is fantastic that South Africans have developed a collective repulsiveness for corruption.” People must know what underpins society and where aggression comes from.
– Leatitia Pienaar.

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