
The solar rooftop plant will be among the 15 largest in the world. Supplied by Investec Property
- Africa’s largest solar rooftop on Cornubia Mall in KwaZulu-Natal is planned to be commissioned from April 2022.
- The plant will produce the same amount of power used by 822 suburban Durban homes in a year.
- The plant includes battery storage and will help reduce the mall’s reliance on the national grid.
Africa’s largest solar rooftop on Cornubia Mall in KwaZulu-Natal may be up and running as early as April 2022.
Once completed, the plant will be among the top 15 largest in the world.
It consists of 9 505 solar panels spread across Cornubia Mall’s rooftop and has a direct current capacity of 5.25 megawatts-peak (MWp). It will be 10.5% bigger than the current biggest rooftop system in Africa, which has a direct current capacity of 4.75 MWp, Investec said.
The plant also includes battery storage. The power won’t cover all of Cornubia Mall’s energy needs, but it will “drastically reduce” its dependence on the national grid.
The plant’s construction has required 34 workers – 20 of these jobs were newly created for Duran residents, and 14 consist of skilled experts from Terra Firma Solutions.