Like the information technology revolution of the past few decades, we are on the brink of a solar revolution that will transform the way in which we use energy. Solar power and business are finally moving forward together as viable, sustainable partners and for a simple reason: solar power has become cost effective.
Spearheading the industrial solar revolution in South Africa, AEG Power Solutions, the local division of the global solar giant, is providing the technology and the business model to make the vision of a sustainable energy future a reality. Over the past few of years, there have been some significant breakthroughs in solar energy, specifically in reducing production costs of solar. The difference in the cost of a kilowatt from a solar array compared to a kilowatt from Eskom has grown smaller. As things currently stand, it already makes good business sense for companies to invest in solar solutions, and things will continue to shift until the ability to generate electricity at an affordable price would be limited only by the amount of space you have. Got a big enough roof? You need never want for electricity again.
And this isn’t a dream of a far distant future. This future is already here, with the solar power equivalent of an on-site utility being used by AEG Power Solutions customers around the world. South Africa, with its plentiful supply of sunshine, is fast gaining an industrial solar consciousness, with a number of the country’s larger commercial and industrial concerns looking into solar as their primary energy source.
Each company that implements this system is not only taking some of the load off the national electrical utility grid, but also has the potential to generate power back into the grid. Solar energy can flow directly from the source to the consumer, and any excess can be sold back to Eskom. This changes the whole dynamics of how we view and use power.
As sustainability issues become more prominent in the business environment, renewable energy sources like solar are increasingly coming to be viewed as necessary additions to any company’s corporate social responsibility portfolio. AEG Power Solutions, as a global leader in this technology, not only walks the sustainability talk as far as its products are concerned, but invests heavily into the societies in which it operates.
In South Africa, the company not only sponsors a number of community upliftment projects but, has invested millions of Rands into the local economy by building a state-of-the-art factory that produces the photovoltaic technology for its green energy solutions. This facility, based in the Western Cape, provides employment for hundreds of people – most of them from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
The construction of this factory strengthens our ability to offer solutions that benefit South Africa’s economy as a whole and demonstrates our dedication to providing sustainable, efficient outcomes for our entire ecosystem. AEG Power Solutions is fully committed to making this planet a better place – and this doesn’t just involve the environment. We are proud that our investment has enabled the empowerment of so many people, and will continue to invest in our community in the future.
