SolarAfrica, an independent power producer and a leader in renewable energy solutions, recently launched Electricity 2.0, a suite of virtual power options that offers South African businesses a cost-effective and greener alternative to traditional utility power.
Electricity 2.0 offers businesses more options to source an energy mix that helps them save money and fast-track carbon reduction.
It offers companies in the commercial and industrial sectors a route to mitigate rising electricity prices and accelerate their progress towards their sustainability goals.
Addressing rising energy costs
With utility tariffs climbing by almost 34% over the past two years (and 450% since 2008) – and set to increase further – businesses face growing pressure to manage energy costs and meet local and international demands for carbon reduction. SolarAfrica’s Electricity 2.0 addresses these challenges by giving businesses more control over where they source their power, providing them with access to cheaper and 100% green energy.
“We’re seeing a lot of uncertainty in the energy sector,” says Brandon Horn, Head of Commercial at SolarAfrica. “Volatile tariff hikes and fluctuating loadshedding make it difficult for businesses to forecast their electricity spend. Electricity 2.0 offers South African businesses certainty. With this solution, they can now know what their power will cost over the next 20 years, and they have more control of how quickly they can reach their sustainability goals.”
Electricity 2.0 includes a range of virtual power solutions with wheeling as the first option available for sign-up. Wheeling allows businesses to receive power generated from several of SolarAfrica’s solar farms, including the 1 GW SunCentral project in the Northern Cape, without the need for on-site solar installations or construction.
The suite also introduces enhanced energy trading options, consolidated billing (across multiple sites, if required), and AI-driven innovation for metering data – streamlining how businesses manage and optimise their energy usage.
“For SolarAfrica, it’s important to give business owners the power to choose where they get their power from – whatever that source may be,” Horn says. “With Electricity 2.0, businesses have more options to create an energy mix that helps them save money and go green in a sustainable way.”
Maximising savings and sustainability
The benefits of Electricity 2.0 go beyond cost savings. By integrating virtual power with SolarAfrica’s existing solar and battery solutions, businesses can reduce their electricity bills significantly. For instance, a company using electricity 24 hours a day, with a monthly bill of R16 million, can cut its energy costs by R4.5 million per month and reduce its utility power use by 60%, equating to yearly savings of nearly R55 million. Thus, businesses that embrace Electricity 2.0 will see immediate cost reductions and fast-track their carbon reduction targets –an increasingly critical factor in today’s market,” Horn adds.
SolarAfrica’s Electricity 2.0 can change the energy outlook for businesses across South Africa, providing a scalable, flexible, and green energy solution for those looking to achieve energy independence and sustainability in the face of growing energy challenges.
For more information visit: Electricity 2.0