Comprehensive Energy Solutions

Energy usage in commercial and industrial facilities represent a large percentage of a country’s overall energy consumption. Therefore, existing and new construction buildings represent a significant potential source of energy savings. An Intelligent Energy Management System (IEMS) uses computer technology to monitor and optimise energy generation, storage and transmission.

In other words, it delivers power when and where it’s needed in the most efficient manner. Multiple energy solutions can be combined into hybrid systems to leverage the benefits of each system, with precise timing.

Using advanced battery technologies to store energy provides generation and consumption flexibility and utility independence. No longer is energy wasted that is not generated and consumed simultaneously. It is also not necessary to be connected to a utility grid transmission infrastructure. Energy storage can provide the same functionality as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS.) Off-grid systems with battery storage can be constructed nearly anywhere.

As renewable energy technologies become more advanced, there is a growing interest in the benefits of combining two or more energy generation sources, “hybrid energy”.  Pairing wind and solar with batteries, for example, can lead to better efficiency and a more balanced output.

Hybrid systems can be tailored to the environment, adapting to variants such as changing weather conditions and peak seasons for wind and solar energy production. They can also be integrated with existing power generation systems, enabling companies and communities to make full use of their assets and ensure a stable supply of energy.

The government of Fiji intends to provide electricity supply to the entire nation. VES will support the efforts of the Rural Electrification Program.

Key residential power priorities include:

• Solar energy systems for homes
• Battery backup systems for power black-outs
• Residential Energy Management Systems to optimise energy usage

While solar-powered vehicles are uncommon now, this will change. In urban and rural environments the uses are endless.  For example, tractors and recreational vehicles are typically diesel-powered, which contributes to global warming and air, soil and groundwater pollution.

Solar powered buses, golf carts and trams offer numerous uses in the tourism industry as well.

Gathering data for optimal crop growth, livestock management and efficient watering is crucial for farmers. By monitoring precipitation, soil moisture levels and sunlight, watering can easily be regulated. Similarly, electronic tags on livestock make it possible to watch and control the location, feeding and watering of animals.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to run a power supply to sensors across large areas of land. Wireless solar sensors offer an easy and cost-effective way to gather agricultural data.

Photovoltaic (PV) water pumping systems are becoming very popular, especially for locations with no powerlines. Solar irrigation systems power pumps when the sun is shining, ensuring operation when they are needed most.

Traditional commercial greenhouses rely on gas or oil heaters to maintain constant temperatures. Solar greenhouses collect and store solar energy during sunny days and retain the heat for nights and cloudy days.

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are solar panels that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building such as the roof, skylights, awnings or facades. They are increasingly being incorporated into the construction of new buildings as a principal or ancillary source of electric power. Existing buildings may also be retrofitted with BIPV systems.

The advantage of these technologies over more common construction styles is that the initial cost can be offset by reducing the cost of the building supplies and labor that would normally be used to construct the part of the building that the solar modules replace. These advantages make BIPV one of the fastest growing segments of the solar PV industry.

High-performance solar energy systems are now being used as structures for parking lots, canopies, bus stops, shelters and vehicle charging ports.

Benefits include:

• Increase Revenue: Turn a parking lot into a power generation facility.
• Optimise Space Utilization: Multiple uses for the same space reduces the need to clear trees and wildlife.
• Protect Environment: Offset carbon emissions
• Green Marketing/Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Highly visible commitment
• Convenience: Provide ports to recharge employees’ and visitors’ electric vehicles.