Eastern Cape Gets Energy-Independent House

The Fort Hare Institute of Technology (FHIT) has spearheaded an energy-efficient “building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) house” at the university’s Alice campus, located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. It is now fully operational. The construction took three months and the electrical system and data-capture systems were installed in January.

The project is an effort to show that the use of renewable energy – particularly solar energy as a viable options for households – can produce an uninterrupted power supply while also reducing carbon emissions. The PV solar system has a maximum power output of 3,800 W, viewed as adequate to meet all the electrical energy requirements of the building.  Energy-efficient electrical appliances are also used, meaning the efficient BIPV house can be completely independent of the national utility grid.

The second phase of the study will sell excess power generated to the national utility grid.