Solar Campaign - Keep the Power on at HERD

We have made great strides with our solar campaign and are happy to share feedback with you in this second report.

The solar panel installation on the roof of our workshop and in the solar room at HERD looks impressive and is maximising sunlight exposure. It did take longer than expected to install the rest of the sections required for the project. We built a separate room to house the equipment we needed for the solar project, such as the inverters which convert the direct current (DC) electricity the solar panels produce into alternating current (AC) electricity. Our inverters are connected to both the battery system and the grid.

Currently our solar installation is connected to the grid, so we can feed extra electricity back into it. The paperwork took some time to get signed off by our electricity provider, but we are happy to report that this was finalised during February 2025. We keep our batteries charged and plan to use the battery and solar panels simultaneously during peak usage.

Our solar room is airconditioned to keep the temperature low. The inverters convert the electricity from the solar panels (DC) to AC electricity, which generates heat and can overheat the inverters and batteries. To prevent this, increase the lifespan, and reduce the risk of potential damage, the air conditioning keeps the room temperature consistent. It is a safety risk if the room overheats and can cause a fire hazard. A number of fire extinguishers are mounted in- and outside the room.

We installed a monitoring system to track the performance of the solar plant and identify any issues. We also have apps on our phones to keep an eye on the usage, outages and problems that may arise. A backup generator has also been installed.

There are many reasons for the electricity issues we face here in Hoedspruit, South Africa, which have necessitated setting up solar power. Recently, we had no power for three days, due to problems with the national energy supplier, but with our solar system and generator, we were able to sustain ourselves. We need a reliable power source for daily operations, unforeseen crisis management, carer accommodation, orphanage and homestead operations, lights, communication, security fencing, water pumping, irrigation, and more.

We are focusing on fine-tuning our solar system, and although it is still early days, we will be able to see the ROI (return on investment) in a year's time.

With your donation towards our solar system, we were able to reduce our interest and loan payment to the bank and will we be able to see a ROI much sooner. Thank you so much for investing in our power and helping us to provide stable, consistent and more sustainable care to the elephants and their carers.

The solar infrastructure has given HERD access to better energy security, one of our basic needs. In turn, this assists in giving us access to clean water as we pump our water directly from the river. It has given us a huge boost to continue with our daily work.

Thank you for providing light and power to all at HERD.

Warm wishes,

The HERD Team