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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

UFS and DRC Free State sign cooperation agreement
2013-11-27

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently signed a cooperation agreement for a period of five years with the DRC Free State. In this contract it is agreed that the university will offer theological training to DRC ministers.

With this agreement, the DRC Free State confirmed that the theological training currently offered by the Faculty of Theology meets the requirements and expectations of the church in such a way that her ministers can be trained within this context and ethos of the UFS. The Faculty of Theology believes that church involvement in the training of students of the DRC FS (as with all other churches), as well as the spiritual formation and guidance of those students, are important during their training and should be retained.

According to Prof Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic, the Faculty of Theology at the UFS is the only institution in Central South Africa that offers complete and comprehensive theological training.

“As the youngest of the faculties at the UFS, this faculty has developed a lot in a relatively short time and is firmly established on many levels. The faculty currently offers training in all theological disciplines, from undergraduate to PhD level,” says Prof Hay.

The Faculty of Theology offers a unique national and international contribution to the development of the church, society and academic theological environment. This is made possible through quality theological training and specialist research based on a framework of classical theological training and research.

The new cooperation agreement that was signed acknowledges the uniqueness and independance of both the DRC in the Free State and the Faculty of Theology as public institutions, and strives to serve the interests of both institutions best.

According to Prof Fanie Snyman, acting Dean of the Faculty of Theology, this new agreement proves that the UFS is not only training students academically, but is also concerned with the human aspect of its students.

“It is a privilege for the university to be associated and work together with the DRC in this way,” says Prof Hay. Rev Jan Lubbe, Moderator of the DRC Free State, also indicated that he is very positive and excited about the new agreement.

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