Flower farm goes green with solar power installation

By Standard Reporter

 

Tambuzi, a large flower farm in Nanyuki, which specialises in scented roses, has adopted green energy with a 60KW solar power system supplied and installed by Chloride Exide.

The system will dramatically reduce the farm’s operational expenses and cut carbon emissions in the environment.

Explaining how the equipment works, Sammy Waite, the Business Development Manager of Chloride Exide said the system at Tambuzi Farm has 240 solar panels collecting 250 watts each.

“Once power is produced by the panels, it is channeled through four three phase grid-tie inverters of 15KW each to be converted from DC to AC current. This power is taken to the distribution board and dispensed for consumption and is not stored,” he said. “Because this is a large scale solar system, we have also equipped Tambuzi Flower farm with a remote monitoring unit which means the system can be checked on a computer in the office away from the solar installation,” he added.

Power supply

Tim Hobbs, the Managing Director of the 64 hectare farm, explained that normal solar power systems, solar panels charge batteries, batteries run an inverter, and an inverter supplies the power.

“The set up here at Tambuzi Farm is different. Ours is a direct solar feed and there are no batteries involved and this reduced our installation costs. The power is fed directly to our needs as it is generated,” he said.

He said the processes involve a lot of water pumping for irrigation and refrigeration of ready products awaiting shipping, adding that these operations require 24 hour supply of power from the national grid.

“With the solar installation we are able to save between 8,000KW and 10,000KW from our monthly bills. It is also a matter of satisfaction to contribute to reduction of environmental pollution,” Mr Hobbs added.


 

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