Eastgate’s journey to becoming an environmental leader began in 2020, where the first phase of the solar system was commissioned, a significant step in the centres commitment to sustainable energy practices.
Phase 1 (2020): 1 MW [AC] or 1.219MWp grid-tied solar PV parkade solution with generator integration, resulting in significant electricity cost savings for the Shopping Centre, while providing the additional benefit of shaded parking for shoppers. Phase 1 has resulted in an energy saving of 1 910 MWh in 2023.
The mall has actively expanded its renewable energy capacity, with the addition of Phase 2 (2024), a 5 MW [AC] or 5.997MWp solar PV solution, for this installation new structural steel subframes were constructed on the existing rooftop to retain the mall’s existing rooftop parking.
In total, this bespoke engineered solution comprises 13,675 solar panels, which equates to 35% of the energy required to run Eastgate’s daily load. This is currently the largest registered rooftop solar PV installation in South Africa for the combined phases, generating a total of 6MW [AC] or 7.216MWp. The solar installation covers most of the mall’s available roof space – approximately 28,100m.
The development was successfully completed in 2024.
