Established in 2014, VAC Solar is a dynamic electrical engineering company which is based in the Vaal Triangle, servicing the South African and African markets.

VAC Solar is a specialist in the field of renewable energy solutions, as well as consultants in this and other fields of electrical engineering. Our portfolio includes energy audits as well as the design, supply, install and commissioning of a wide range of renewable energy products and solutions as well as top quality electrical automation products.

Our aim is to be a leader in energy saving controls for the African rural, agricultural, domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. It is for this reason that VAC Solar aligns itself with reliable alternative energy saving solutions that optimise comfort for the user while minimising energy costs. By transforming the South African energy consumer to be less dependent on the current overstressed and unreliable power grid, our expertise can assist in reducing your carbon footprint and energy bills at the same time.

It is under this banner that we have formulated our business and service mission: To render an exceptional one stop supply and consultation service to our clients.

Management

David J Huxham is the founder and Managing Director of VAC Solar. He has a total of 8 years’ experience with Sasol Ltd, both at the factories in Sasolburg and Secunda. During this period he gained extensive knowledge relating to the Oil and Gas industry in specific, as well as ancillary and related plant in general. He also has 17 years’ experience in the sales & marketing of equipment in this field where he performed consultation work on various engineering projects, including the supply, installation and commissioning thereof.

Over the years David obtained his Olifantsfontein red seal in heavy current electrical engineering and became an Installation Electrician (IE) by also obtaining his wiremen’s licence. He also equipped himself to become an expert in the field of renewable energy by obtaining various PV certifications namely Microcare, Victron Energy, Schneider Electric and Freedom Won.

David is therefore a hands-on B-Tech Electrical Engineering graduate who has an intimate understanding of the South African business environment, supported by an MBA degree from North West University.

Energy Auditing

A site specific report is crucial in allowing for accurate system sizing and correct PV and/or battery plant design. VAC Solar uses industry standard design techniques taking into account numerous factors that influence the correct power plant design.

CP Electronics

VAC Solar is a supplier of programmable energy saving control systems and connection products for lighting, heating or ventilation. We supply a range of occupancy sensors, including both Microwave and Passive Infra-Red (PIR). These two ranges boast a vast range of features.

Photovoltaic Systems

Because VAC Solar sees itself as a reputable firm and aims to be a leader in energy saving controls, we took the decision to only align ourselves with reliable product manufacturers. It is for this reason that VAC Solar install Tier 1 PV modules and strongly support the latest industry drive.

As with most of the southern hemisphere, South Africa is in the fortunate position that it has a very high solar potential, making this renewable energy source an attractive possibility.

Photovoltaics (PV) is best known as a method for generating electric power by using semiconducting silicone solar cells to convert energy from the sun into a flow of electrons. In other words, PV systems convert sunlight directly into electricity.

Different PV Systems:

• Grid-Tied PV System
• Hybrid PV System
• Off-Grid PV System

Different Types of PV Modules:

• Monocrystalline
• Polycrystalline
• Amorphous

Solar panels are categorised into three tier classifications. Tier 1 is the highest and tier 3 the lowest “quality” product.

The tier ranking scale is orchestrated by Bloomberg New Energy Finance Corporation and is used to rank solar panel manufacturers in terms of their bank-ability or financial stability. Tier rankings are about the panel manufacturers and not the panels themselves. Therefore it is not a direct guarantee but rather a very good indicator of quality. So when it comes to applying tier rankings, the reasoning goes something like this: “If these panels are good enough to get financing to be installed on gigantic solar farms, surely they’ll be good enough for me.”

According to the above indication, Tier 1 manufacturers represent only a 2% share of the total number of solar panel manufacturers. What sets them apart from the rest are that they are vertically integrated, meaning they manufacture their panels from the ground up. These manufacturers control the complete production process, everything from the silicon cells to the panel frames and ultimately assembly. They are highly innovative and use automated manufacturing techniques that are contributing to a higher level of quality, while reducing manufacturing costs at the same time. Tier 1 manufacturers invest heavily in research & development and finally have been producing solar panels for at least 5 years.

Tier 2 manufacturers comprise of about 8% of the market and have been manufacturing PV modules for between 2 to 5 years. Compared to Tier 1 manufacturers they invest relatively little money in R&D and robotic automation plays a small role in their production lines.

Tier 3 manufacturers comprises of the majority of the PV manufacturing market with a whopping 90% market share. They however have the least experience and their operations are limited to assembling by utilising components from other companies. They do not invest in R&D and they are highly reliant on manual labour.