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Central Technical Supplies (Pty) Ltd. – Geiger Engineering (CTS) was approached by Farmers Meat Market Mariental to design, supply and install a solar water heating system with the aim to reduce the monthly diesel consumption as two diesel boilers are operated to heat water up to 82 deg. C for production purposes.

The water requirements of the abattoir are as follows:

1. 2,000 liter/hour @ 45 C°
2. 3,000 liter/hour @ 60 C°
3. 500 liter/hour @ 82 C°

This adds up to a total daily water requirement at 60 deg. C of roughly 25,000 liter.

The system is design such as to preheat water from 18 deg. C to between 50 deg. C and 60 deg. C before supplying the diesel boiler system, thus reducing runtime and diesel consumption of the diesel boilers. A 20,000L stainless steel tank (non pressure tank) manufactured locally according to CTS design, acts as the buffer tank for the daily water requirement. A total of 120 flat plate collectors supplied by Solsquare Namibia with a total surface area of 300 m2 are connected by means of a 450kW Alfa Laval flat plate heat exchanger to the water tank.

A set of two Calpeda circulation pumps connected to Danfoss variable speed drives and a timer circuit guarantees at all times that the heat from the collectors is effectively transported to the water tank. Flow as well as temperature monitoring on all four ports of the heat exchanger make it possible to determine the instantaneous as well as accumulated kWh produced from the collector field.

Furthermore additional heating energy is obtained from the ammonia refrigeration plant. A heat exchanger is installed on the ammonia discharge side before the existing cooling towers to be able to heat the water during night time as well, as this is the time when the refrigeration plant runs at full capacity to cool down the newly slaughtered meat in the cold rooms. Again flow control and temperature monitoring on the hot water side of the heat exchanger accurately indicate heating energy obtained from the refrigeration plant.
A total of four pump sets have been installed and pumps are cycled on a 24 hour basis in automatic mode. Should at any given time a pump fail, the system can be switched to manual mode to be able to repair the pump without system down time and a resulting increase in diesel consumption.

All systems components are sized such as to allow for future heating capacity upgrades should it be required.

After a year of operation, the plant is performing better than expected and the client is able to safe nearly N$ 60,000 per month on diesel costs, bringing the payback period of the entire system down to below two years. This clearly shows that solar energy, be it for heating or for electricity production, surely is the way forward for a cleaner and greener future for generations to come. CTS is proud to be part of making Namibia and the world a better place for our grandchildren to live in.

The University of Hamburg approached CTS directly with the request to quote and subsequently manufacture and install 3 automatic weather stations at:

• Khorixas
• Kaoko Otavi
• Okangwati

Once again, satellite communication has been chosen, this time not because of GSM not being available, but to reduce future cost of the stations as satellite communication for these stations has got no costs associated.

In addition to the basic data measured:

• Wind speed
• Wind direction
• Humidity
• Air Temperature
• Irradiance
• Barometric pressure
• Ground Temperature
• Rain
• Leaf wetness

The stations are equipped with a WLAN interface. This allows the connection of 49″ SmartTV to be connected to each station to display the current weather inside close by offices.

CTS has electrified two schools in remote northern Namibia funded by the Hanns Seidel Foundation with the aim to provide electricity for lighting, thus extending learning hours for learners well into the night. Both systems are based on BlueNova 4kWh lithium ion batteries, Victron Energy charge regulators and inverter technology. Remote monitoring is possible via the integrated Colour Control GX from Victron. Special attention has been given to the system configuration to prevent total battery shutdown. This is achieved by switching the inverter off at a predefined battery state of charge (typically 20%) and only reactivate the inverter once the batteries are charged beyond a predetermined threshold.

The systems where officially inaugurated by the Ambassador of Germany in June 2018.

The installed photovoltaic system at Elavi Clinic caters for the power supply to the clinic as well as the nurse houses. A 6.2kW PV module array generates enough power for the energy requirements. Should this not be sufficient the batteries can be charged by a backup generator.

The system consists of the following:

• 6.24 kW PV array
• 2x Victron BueSolar 150V/70A MPPT regulator
• 600Ah Battery capacity
• Inverter/Charger, Victron Multi, 48V/8000VA
• System Monitoring (BMV700, Color Control GX)

CTS was instructed to supply, deliver, install, test and commission laundry equipment for the Mine Complex Change House, Plant Complex Change House and the FPR Change House at the Husab Mine in 2015.

The Husab mine has to process nearly 2 000 overalls and towels on a daily basis. Emphasis was made on equipment that is energy efficient, safe to operate and cost effective to maintain.

Miele equipment fulfills every requirement when it comes to the economical processing of large amounts of laundry. Miele’s tried and tested programs ensure the correct washing process for every type of material. The tumble driers complement the washer extractors and are highly economical, thanks to short running times. Thus you have a perfect solution to process large amounts of laundry, fast, hygienically and economically.

CTS installed washer extractors fitted with water recovery units and heat pump tumble driers. Laundry-care requirements vary significantly according to the customer’s needs. Whichever your requirement, CTS can offer you the ideal solution.

CTS was instructed to supply, deliver, install, test and commission laundry equipment for Lady Pohamba Private Hospital in 2015. Situated in Windhoek’s Kleine Kuppe area, this new and stunning 134-bed hospital caters for a wide variety of patients.

When it comes to Hospital textiles, cleanliness and perfect hygiene is of the essence. The challenge is to safely wash large quantities of used and soiled fabrics, while ensuring consistent, hygienic cleaning, maximum longevity and shortened wash times. As Namibia is facing a water crisis, special attention needs to be given to using as little water as possible. Our solution was Miele.

Miele offers a wide range of machines with cutting edge technology and specialized wash programs. With their patented stainless steel Honeycomb Drum, the specially designed drum ribs allow the water to saturate the laundry very quickly, reducing washing times. The high spin speeds with a G-factor of up to 500 make for optimum water extraction. There are also connections for detergent dispensers, ensuring that the same amount of detergent is used for each wash. A water recovery unit saves up to 30% of the water consumption. The tumble dryers are equipped with a heat-pump system, with results in a reduction of 60% of energy consumption.

Thanks to the residual moisture level of approximately 50% achieved by Miele’s washer-extractors, bed linen does not need to be dried any further before it is fed into a rotary ironer with a high heat output. Miele’s technology guarantees economy and quality, and actively contribute towards protecting our health and environment.