acciona.org launches first South African photovoltaic project with school electrification

The acciona.org foundation has launched its first project in South Africa with the commissioning of a solar-plus-storage plant that guarantees clean, stable and affordable electricity supply to the Bakerville primary school in the town of Gouda.

The 19.8kWp photovoltaic plant with a 20.4kWh battery ensures that more than 650 primary school students can attend classes without interruption due to power outages, while saving the school money. Until now, this primary educational center faced limitations in its teaching because of an insufficient electricity service, impacting classes and equipment throughout the school day.

For the implementation of the project, acciona.org was supported by ACCIONA Energía, which built and operates the nearby 138MW Gouda wind farm, with a capacity equivalent to the electricity supply of 200,000 South African homes.

This project is the first to be carried out by acciona.org in South Africa, a country where it is estimated that there are still more than 6.5 million people without access to electricity and where, for example, in 2022 there were power cuts of around 150 days a year due to grid overload problems. These supply difficulties also lead to higher electricity prices.

acciona.org promotes universal access to electricity through service provision models that guarantee a clean, reliable and affordable long-term supply. To this end, it installs off-grid and microgrid photovoltaic systems, with energy storage, and ensures their smooth operation and maintenance with local technicians.

acciona.org is present in Africa through both this project in South Africa and an Ethiopian project in alliance with other Spanish organizations, which will benefit around 14,000 people through a model designed by the foundation to provide household electricity services to refugees and host communities.