Five Western Cape hospitals are set to receive solar photovoltaic (PV) systems under a new tender issued by the Institute of Health Programs and Systems on behalf of the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.
The facilities – Brooklyn Chest Hospital, Beaufort West Hospital, Ceres Hospital, Wesfleur Hospital and Vredendal Hospital – will be fitted with rooftop solar PV systems designed to power oxygen-generating plants and reduce energy costs.
Submissions close on May 24.
Each plant must include solar PV panels mounted on existing roofs, inverters, changeover switches, battery storage and all required cabling and interconnections. Systems must be fully automated and configured either to supply power to the facility’s main electrical reticulation or operate as stand-alone units for specific hospital circuits, the department said.
According to the tender, the systems are designed to offset energy demand during the lowest solar production months – June to August – with surplus generation in higher-yield periods used to reduce hospital grid demand and manage maximum demand charges.
“The solar panels are sized to achieve energy offset during the worst-performing solar months while surplus power in high-performance months will be used to supply additional energy to the hospital grid and offset increases in maximum demand cost,” the department said.
The appointed contractor must also deliver a three-hour training session for hospital staff, covering system operation and basic maintenance.
Minimum technical requirements include:
- Inverters with a five-year warranty.
- Battery storage systems rated for at least 6 000 cycles.
- Solar panels with a 30-year performance-based warranty.
