Case Study

Remote Solar Borehole Pump Site Overview

Timbavati, Limpopo, South Africa
Location: Tsakani Camp, Timbavati
Private Reserve, Limpopo, South
Shift Innovation is a Southern African based Engineering, Africa
Procurement & Construction Company specializing in Renewable
Average Local Irradiance: 2080
Energy. Shift Innovation uses high quality, top 10 globally ranked
kWh/m2/annum
products with class leading performance, efficiencies and
guarantees, designed to deliver impressive returns on investment. Coordinates: 240 17’ S; 310 21’ E

The Timbavati borehole project required Shift Innovation to design, Borehole depth: 50 m
supply and install a borehole water pumping solution that would
Pumping Distance: 800 m
provide an average of 15,000l/day to a remote new-build private
lodge, deep in the African bush. The site is far away from the
nearest electrical source and construction of a new power line with Technical
transformer would have been prohibitively expensive and time
consuming to meet the requirements of the project. Water had to
Specification
be pumped approximately 800m from the borehole to a 36 000l
Date Commissioned: 22 May 2016
storage tank at the new site.
System Capacity: 15,000 litres/day
Shift Innovation achieved design requirements well within budget
and schedule. Shift Innovation supplied and installed a standard Panel Spec: Solar Frontier SF170S
stainless steel CRI 0.75kW single phase submersible pump and
motor, coupled to an INVT 0.75kW single phase solar pump inverter, Tilt angle, orientation: 200, North
with optional AC input and float switch control. The solar array
consists of 8 x SF170 Solar Frontier CIS Thin Film modules and a Inverter spec: INVT BPD 0K7
custom-made hot-dip galvanised mounting structure at the remote
site. Pump and Motor Spec: CRI
S4S3/15 0.75 kW 230 V
The solar pump inverter is capable of running the single-phase pump submersible
motor using solar power during sunlight hours without the use of
batteries, and has the option of an additional AC single phase input Solar capacity: 1.36 kWp
to run a generator should the need arise to run the pump at night.
The brighter the sun shines, the more water is pumped! The Solar
Frontier modules were selected for their class leading hail and high “Within the first 26 hours of the
temperature tolerances. 36 000 litre tank being
commissioned, it had been filled!”
For further details on solar borehole solutions up to 250kW or any
other type of solar project, please contact Shift Innovation Sales at:

Carl Meyer
Email: carl@shiftinnovation.co.za
Mobile: +2783 635 4126
Web: www.shiftinnovation.co.za