The 40-foot containers, developed by Africa Green Tec, each have a 37-45 kWp photovoltaic system, and will be enhanced by 60kWh battery storage system by Tesvolt and provide energy at a far cheaper rate than power from a diesel generator.
Torsten Schreiber, founder of Africa Green Tec, says: “For our project in Mali, we needed a reliable supplier of high-performance energy storage systems. Tesvolt shares our commitment to the decentralised, green and reliable provision of energy. And they already have a great deal of experience with the inverter technology of SMA Solar Technology.
The first solar container with a Tesvolt storage system is being set up in the village of Djoliba, south of the capital Bamako. By the end of 2018 all 25 villages should be supplied with solar power. The containers are initially being financed by crowdfunding and will later be covered by a loan.
Thanks to Tesvolt’s storage systems, the villagers will be able to use solar power not only for around nine hours during the day, but also after dusk. Electric light makes it possible to work in the evening when it’s cooler – during the day the temperature is around 45°C in the shade. And it also makes it possible to work in two shifts, which helps local small business owners to increase their added value. Solar power is also much cheaper, cleaner and quieter than the diesel that was used previously, and it means that the villagers must no longer be dependent on the diesel supply.
“The project demonstrates the potential of solar power and storage systems in particular in remote areas of the world that aren’t connected to the power grid”, says Simon Schandert, director of engineering at Tesvolt. “Our storage systems can be used anywhere and have a long service life. This is thanks to intelligent control of each individual battery cell, which ensures that the systems are charged and discharged optimally. So naturally they’re an attractive option for locations that are hard to access, where the technology needs to be long lasting.”
The cooling that the systems require, with outdoor temperatures reaching 50°C in the shade, is carried out by a special system, which also runs on solar power. The containers can be fitted with additional components, for example to filter contaminated water.
