1 MW rooftop solar plant on a catalytic converter factory in Cape Town, installed by Imvelo Energy
Projects/Catalytic converter plant

1 MW rooftop: 1 MW rooftop solar plant, Cape Town

1MW
rooftop solar power installation
Catalytic converter plantRooftop solar, Cape Town2023
Array1megawatt (MW)
Modules565watt Trina Solar
Inverters8 × 125kilowatt Sungrow
SystemGrid-tiedsolar only

What the site needed

The factory makes platinum catalytic converters, and its heavy machinery draws large, sudden loads. A standard installation risked tripping and voltage instability on the production line.

The client set two conditions. The solar plant had to synchronise with the grid and the diesel back-up, and the installation could not stop production for a single minute.

What we built

  • Weeks of load-profile monitoring first, measuring power quality and demand spikes before any design.
  • 565 W Trina Solar modules for density on the available roof.
  • Eight 125 kW Sungrow inverters, chosen for grid support and reactive power compensation.
  • Custom switchgear that isolates a fault instantly, before it can reach sensitive factory equipment.
  • Zero downtime and reduced cost of power.

Built for heavy industry

The factory now supplies a large share of its daytime power from its own rooftop solar.

ROOFTOP ARRAY · 565 W MODULES125kW125kW125kW125kW125kW125kW125kW125kW1 MW to the plant’s switchgear

Eight inverters share the array, so if one goes down, there are seven backups.

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Cost-efficient solar power for Africa.

Imvelo Energy designs, finances, builds and maintains commercial and industrial solar and battery systems for businesses across southern Africa, from offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

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Glossary
Demand charge
The part of a business electricity bill based on the highest power the site draws in the month, separate from the energy it uses.
Notified maximum demand
The capacity a site has agreed with its supplier. Going over it adds a charge to the bill.
Peak and time-of-use
Electricity costs more per unit in the weekday morning and evening peaks. A battery charged off-peak covers those hours.
Embedded generation
Power produced on your own site, connected on your side of the meter.
Distribution board
The electrical board the solar plant connects into.
Section 12B
A tax allowance that lets a business deduct the cost of a solar plant it owns, up to 1 MW, in the first year.
© 2026 Imvelo Energy (Pty) LtdChanging Africa 1MW at a time.Cape Town, South Africaimveloenergy.com