Pre-Plan Energy has commissioned an upmarket residence south of Johannesburg that uses both wind and solar power. Integrating a wind turbine with one of the largest domestic PV arrays in the country (nearly 3 kW in size), the system uses island inverters with a large deep-cycle battery system to provide uninterrupted power to the household, even in the event of power outages.

The system automatically manages the energy being generated from renewable wind and solar sources, and only uses grid power when the peak demand is high. As a result, the dependency on the power grid is greatly reduced. The home also boasts LED lighting, double-glazing glass for superior insulation, two solar geysers as well as pool heating mats.

"We will begin to see more and more 'true green' homes shortly, as owners start to invest in solutions to generate their own electricity and reduce their overall energy consumption," says Pre-Plan Energy's Jonathan de Magalhães. "ESKOM will start to impose high penalties on consumers who do not decrease their overall electricity usage, making it financially viable to start moving towards green energy solutions for residences."

Pre-Plan Energy has launched its first course on understanding, planning and using Green Energy. The course is targeted at both consumers who want to know more about Green Energy, as well as prospective entrepreneurs looking at moving into the green energy field.

The 1-day course covers material on understanding how green energy components, such as wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, inverters and battery systems, as well as fundamental energy approaches such as being able to conduct an energy audit, reduce energy consumption as well as calculate and justify the initial investment for a renewable energy solution. Including information which uses industry best practices and sizing calculations, candidates will be able to understand and size green energy solutions, as well as how to calculate the return on investment required for green energy solutions.

More information on the Green Energy Course can be downloaded here. (PDF)