The Lombard vineyard, a 50-hectare property established in 1998, faced chronic operational disruptions due to South Africa’s worsening load-shedding (planned power outages). With refrigeration systems for wine storage, automated irrigation pumps, and processing equipment requiring 24/7 power, diesel generator costs soared to ZAR 240,000 monthly. Jacques sought an off-grid solar solution capable of handling 45kVA peak loads during harvest season while integrating existing LiFePO4 batteries.
After technical consultations, Jacques deployed a solar hybrid system centered around six parallel-connected M11000T-48PL inverters (11KW units), leveraging key product features:
- Parallel Scalability: Six units synchronized to deliver 66KW total capacity, exceeding the vineyard’s peak demand.
- Dual AC Outputs: Critical refrigeration (5KW) assigned to Main Output; irrigation/pumps (5KW) to Second Output.
- LiFePO4 Compatibility: RS485 communication enabled seamless control of existing 48V/600Ah battery bank.
- Grid-Flexible Operation: Prioritized SUB mode (Solar > Utility > Battery) to minimize grid use during tariffs.
- Harsh Environment Design: Detachable dust covers protected inverters from vineyard’s seasonal sandstorms.
- PV Array: 64kWp solar panels (4 strings * 16kW, VOC <500VDC), using dual MPPT tracking.
- Battery Activation: During extended outages, inverters revived depleted batteries via PV input, eliminating manual intervention.
- Efficiency: 96% PV-to-AC conversion maintained stable temperatures in wine cellars despite 40°C summer heat.
- Cost Savings: Generator use reduced by 90%, cutting monthly energy costs by ZAR 180,000.
- Zero Spoilage: No wine batches lost to power disruptions since deployment (18+ months).
- Maintenance: Dust covers reduced inverter cleaning frequency by 50% in arid conditions.
- Scalability: System expanded effortlessly by adding two inverters during 2023 harvest.
"Before this, load-shedding risked our entire harvest. The inverters’ parallel capacity and battery activation turned solar from a backup to our primary backbone. Even during the 2023 drought, we maintained irrigation without grid power."
- South Africa was selected due to:
- High solar irradiation (4.5–6.5 kWh/m²/day in Western Cape).
- Severe load-shedding crises impacting agriculture/commerce.
- 230V grid voltage matching product specifications.
- Growing LiFePO4 adoption for off-grid applications.
- Winery use case leverages:
- Dual-output flexibility (critical vs. non-critical loads).
- High surge capacity (22,000VA) for refrigeration compressors.
- Wide PV input range (60–500VDC) for varying light conditions.
