The Vergelegen, a wine estate in Somerset West, South Africa (SA), has invested 13.7 million South African rands ($725.2 million) in a solar and battery backup project to take its hilltop winery off-grid, reducing reliance on Eskom and escaping frequent load shedding. This initiative includes the installation of six solar tables, encompassing five hundred panels and covering 1,400 square meters, ensuring the winery's self-sufficiency. To maintain operations during cloudy days or at night, three inverters and a one-megawatt battery backup have also been installed. By going off-grid, the cellar will save its entire electricity bill and reduce carbon emissions, while excess energy will be fed into the grid, benefiting the entire estate.
Vergelegen's move toward solar power aligns with a growing trend in South Africa, where many businesses are turning to solar to counteract power disruptions. Vrede en Lust, a historical wine estate, made a similar shift in 2012 and achieved positive returns after four years. The country is experiencing a surge in solar installations, with over 4,400 megawatt of rooftop solar deployed outside government initiatives, expected to increase by 420 percent by 2030. South Africa's solar industry is also witnessing robust job creation and record-breaking imports of solar panels, reflecting growing resilience against load-shedding challenges.