The solar cells at Westville Veterinary Hospital have now generated energy for three months and it is exciting to see the success of the solar project!

In a message to the Sun Exchange community, Surgeon and Partner, Dr. Willem Vergeer, describes the pleasant experience the hospital has had with going solar through Sun Exchange. The staff and veterinarians are enjoying the savings and surprising positive customer feedback from the three-month journey so far.

The vet became interested in renewable energy for financial and environmental reasons. Located in sunny Durban, South Africa, solar energy seemed like the obvious solution.

Dr. Vergeer stated, “One of the hallmarks of the country is sunshine and that is why we opted for solar power.”

The vet is thrilled with the savings so far -- over the past three months, the system has saved Westville ZAR 5,494 in energy costs. From the savings, Westville is able to put money towards skills development for staff and equipment upgrades.

“[Saving energy costs] is the reason why we choose renewable energy. But it is not only for the financial perspective. We now know that clean and sustainable energy is up in the forefront. I would just advise anybody contemplating going down this route... do it, and there are no negatives about it.”

Successful solar-driven stats

In three months, the system has generated 7,424 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy, which is 3.8% more energy produced than initially forecasted! This means that the project’s solar cell owners are on track to earn the estimated IRR of 11.57%.

To date, the system has offset 7,276 kg of CO2, which is equivalent to planting 120 trees and switching 276 traditional light bulbs to energy-saving LED bulbs.

Over the 20-year lifespan of the Westville Veterinary Hospital solar project, the system is expected to offset 871,857 kg of CO2. This massive carbon reduction is one of the many reasons organisations should consider solar energy for a cleaner, more sustainable way to power their operations!