Daystar Power Group’s Post

Does roof orientation affect the amount of electricity produced by solar panels? In short---yes. The angle of solar panels has an impact on the power generated as the sun moves east to west. To produce the maximum output, panels should face south (towards the equator) and be tilted at an angle equal to the latitude. Our installation team assesses the orientation of our clients’ roofs and places panels to maximise electricity production. Are you interested in adding solar to your energy mix? Get in touch: https://lnkd.in/d5SVA7Z9

We can’t believe it’s been more than one year since we launched in South Africa. We are building a talented team passionate about bringing energy security and sustainable power to South African businesses. Led by Country Head Wendy Green, our South African team reflects the diversity that is the bedrock of the Rainbow Nation, hailing from 4 provinces and speaking 11 languages. South Africa’s rapidly changing power industry makes it a fascinating time to operate in the sector. We can hardly keep up with the changes afoot: new business models, liberalisation, and the emergence of commercial and individual “prosumers” thanks to wheeling. For us, South Africa is one of our most dynamic and challenging markets. #solarpower #solarenergy #africarenewables 

How often do I need to clean my solar panels? It is recommended to clean solar panels every 6 months to a year. But, at Daystar Power, we go above and beyond to ensure the maximum performance and longevity of your panels. Our maintenance team cleans our clients’ panels six times a year - even more during the Harmattan. Are you interested in adding solar to your energy mix? Get in touch: https://lnkd.in/d5SVA7Z9

In our latest Daystar Employee Spotlight, we’re featuring Elizabeth Blewudzi, Field Service Manager and pillar of our Ghana team. If you follow us, you know that we stand by our 99.9% system uptime. We couldn’t do it without Elizabeth and her team who work behind the scenes to ensure all systems – not just in Ghana but across West Africa – are running smoothly. Over her nearly 5 years at Daystar, Elizabeth has worked her way up to management. She first started out answering the phones as a customer communications specialist. It was an important job, she stressed, as it prepared her for field service. If you don’t understand customers’ challenges, you can’t find effective solutions. On a typical day, Elizabeth will first check the remote monitoring system to check for any issues with our solar systems: is the site live and communicating? Are there any faults with inverters or high voltage from the grid? If an inverter is on but not working, why is it not producing power? In case of any system issues, Elizabeth will assign technicians and schedule the necessary maintenance. Once the daily check is done and work teams assigned, she prepares daily and monthly performance reports for clients. Elizabeth is proud of keeping our systems up and running. In one particularly complicated case, she realised that a system’s inverter was not feeding into the electrical distribution point due to high voltage from the grid. After a week of doggedly following up with the ECG (the Ghanaian grid), the issue was resolved in less than one week. “Our clients refer us to other clients due to our performance,” she said. Two months ago, Elizabeth successfully defended her Master of Philosophy thesis in Renewable Energy Technologies from her alma mater Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. In her thesis, she analysed the effect of grid voltage unbalance and fluctuations on the PV voltage of grid-tied solar systems using MATLAB simulation and machine learning prediction. Having successfully balanced her career and higher education, did she have any advice to recent female engineering graduates looking to go into renewable energy? She said: • Know what field of renewable energy (solar, hydro, biomass) you want to pursue  • Get a mentor  • Read, read, read  • Join fellowships and expand your knowledge of different renewable energy technologies We’re incredibly lucky to have such dynamic and talented people on our team like Elizabeth.

We pride ourselves on delivering customised solar solutions that fit your specific energy needs. What are the different steps in the design of our solar systems? Here's is a step-by-step breakdown of our process: 1️⃣ Audit & site assessment: First our team conducts a site audit. We carefully evaluate available ground, roof, or parking lot space to identify locations for solar installations. 2️⃣ Energy consumption analysis: We analyse your existing energy consumption (kWh) to properly size your solar system for peak load. We make recommendations on how you can save on energy costs by switching to energy efficient appliances and lighting. 3️⃣ Sizing and component selection: We ensure the system is tailored to your specific needs, optimising its performance. For example, we’ve noticed many bank clients in Nigeria install oversized gensets that only operate at 80% capacity. We provide the right sized generators that match consumption. 4️⃣ Performance simulation: Using our software, we then simulate the system's performance to guarantee highest energy production. 5️⃣ Peak hour optimisation: We focus on peak hours when energy consumption is at its highest. We adjust the system size based on available panel space to maximise your solar investment. Are you ready to add solar into your energy mix? Contact us: https://lnkd.in/d5SVA7Z9

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!

Last April, we shared that we commissioned a 250kWp solar system for the Arla Dairy Farm in Kaduna State, Nigeria.    Arla has been and remains very instrumental to the development of Nigeria’s dairy industry, focused on increasing local milk production by working with dairy farmers.   With ample roof space from the dairy barn and other buildings, plus plentiful sunshine, the farm in Damau has great potential to solarise its operations.   We installed 455 550W panels mostly on the milk collection depot, reinforced all the skylights on the roof, connected the cabling to the inverter room to convert DC power from panels to AC power, before last linking the inverter room to the electrical distribution point.   The best part is that Arla can increase its installed solar capacity because its roof space can accommodate enough solar panels to generate up to 1.5MW peak.   We’re incredibly proud to work with pioneering clients like Arla Farm.   To read more about our solar installation and Arla Farm’s big plans for Nigeria’s dairy industry (including fascinating details on cow genetics), check out their newsletter from earlier this year:   https://lnkd.in/gtSTwvwg Arla Foods #solarpower #solarenergy

In 2022, we installed solar at PRIMLAKS - For Better Lives Lagos factory, helping the company to save on energy costs and reduce their carbon emissions. Swipe the image below to see our rooftop solar system and our delivered energy savings for Primlaks. To learn more, check out our blog post: https://lnkd.in/gduru-vB

We count ourselves lucky that we have the opportunity to partner with and support African manufacturers leading the transition to renewable energy and pioneering sustainability in their communities. In Ghana, one of our bigger projects is a 1.6MW solar installation for Ghandour Cosmetics Ltd, the leading cosmetics manufacturer in the country. Just like Ghandour was a trailblazer in creating demand for ‘Made in Ghana’ African beauty products, it is now championing sustainable energy across its value chain. We love to see it. 

It’s Friday and we’re back to tell more stories of our trainees from our Women in Power Training (WIPT) cohort that started in February. ✨ Let us introduce you to Chidera Chidi. Chidera was born in Umuahia, Abia State, where she grew up in a close-knit family. Influenced by her brothers, she loved tinkering with electrical appliances, which would later spark her interest in engineering. One day, she attempted to fix her mother's charger. But, after just 30 seconds, the charger blew up. She was shortly banned from making any electrical repairs in the household, but it didn’t extinguish her interest. She became even more determined to learn from her mistake, and improve her ability to fix things. With no immediate family members in the field, Chidera found inspiration in her godfather, an electrical engineer. She went on to study electrical engineering at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Abia State. Chidera's passion for renewable energy led her to the WIPT programme. "When I saw the ad on LinkedIn, I was eager to apply. The training not only aligns with my goal of reducing the world’s carbon footprint but also offers a chance to work with talented women in the field," she said. After only a month in the programme, Chidera praised its structure. "The training is tough but very informative and well-paced. It's not just about dumping information on you; you get to practice what you learn. They teach us skills like how to make sales and negotiate, which I never thought I'd need for engineering, but turns out they're pretty important," she said. She feels like the programme has pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped to build her confidence. “I feel lucky to be in an environment where I’m working alongside amazing and talented women. It’s impressive to see how everyone is willing to help and I’m confident I’ll be better by the end of the programme than I was when I started,” she said. Chidera is most excited about field and sales engineering rotations, aiming to broaden her skillset and become a more effective team player. We’re thrilled to have motivated and talented women engineers, like Chidera, on our team.