• A new roof and a rooftop solar installation of 2.5MW, the mall’s second solar plant
• A cost-saving and environmentally-positive energy management system
• Convenient new road access into the mall from the Golden Highway
Vaal Mall, the shopping capital of the Vaal Triangle, situated in the heart of Vanderbijlpark, is upgrading its infrastructure to include a solar-first power and backup energy system and a convenient new link road into the mall directly from the R57 Golden highway.
The new 2.5MW rooftop solar plant, when taken together with Vaal Mall’s existing carport solar installation of 1MVA, increases the mall’s total solar power plants to 3MW.
As part of the project, the mall’s diesel generators will also be consolidated to create a hybrid solar and diesel integrated power system for the mall. The system is designed to use solar power whenever available, including during load shedding.
Commenting on this major upgrade, which will help the mall’s tenants and shoppers avoid disruptions and live greener lives, Shana Maree-Paraskevopoulos, Growthpoint’s Portfolio manager for Vaal Mall, says, “Once this ground-breaking new energy management project is complete, Vaal Mall will be able to stand proudly among South Africa’s leading renewable-energy-powered shopping centres. It increases the solar energy we use and decreases the amount of diesel burned, dramatically reducing diesel costs for the mall and its tenants, and benefitting the environment.”
The mall’s decreased reliance on the national grid and fossil fuels aligns with the environmental commitment of its owners. Growthpoint has set an ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2050, with green buildings and green energy helping it to achieve its goal. Flanagan & Gerard continues to embrace renewables and other sustainable initiatives to do their part in the global drive to cut carbon emissions.
Vaal Mall’s owners are also building a new link road off the Golden Highway, with a traffic signalled intersection, which will help alleviate traffic into the mall from Barrage Road and Rossini Boulevard.
Maree-Paraskevopoulos adds, “We strive to offer an exceptionally pleasing, hassle-free shopping experience for all visitors, and the new entrance road will go a long way to making shopping at, and getting to, Vaal Mall even more enjoyable.”
Vaal Mall’s new state-of-the-art energy management system and accessible new entrance point will be complete by the end of June this year.
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