SUSTAINABLE Solutions (SPS), in partnership with Darling Green Country Estate and TouchPoint Energy, has successfully commissioned a 1MW solar plant in the town of Darling, within the Swartland Municipality. This pioneering project marks a significant step forward in South Africa’s renewable energy landscape, with far-reaching benefits for both the local community and the national grid.
The 1MW solar plant, which came onstream on 10 March 2025, will supply clean, sustainable energy to the newly developed Darling Green Country Estate, powered by the recently established green energy provider, Darling Green Utility. A portion of the surplus energy generated by the plant will be sold to Swartland Municipality under a three-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), further reinforcing the estate’s commitment to fostering a greener future. By the end of this period, the estate is expected to have expanded sufficiently to consume most of the energy produced.
SPS was chosen to implement the project as a “one-stop shop” for both technical solutions and funding. Touchpoint Energy (formerly Genesis) played a key role in the project’s early stages by assisting with its conceptualisation, design, and legal documentation.
The Darling Green solar project uniquely offers estate residents “guided meter power,” protecting them from load shedding during Stages 1 and 2. This initiative aims to provide a more affordable and reliable electricity solution, ensuring a stable power supply at all times.
Furthermore, plans are underway for the development of an additional 5MW solar farm adjacent to the existing 1MW plant. Darling Green Solar (Pty) Limited has secured approval to access the Eskom grid in Darling, allowing for the wheeling of 5MW of power to customers connected to the Eskom grid in other parts of the country. Currently in its final design stage and undergoing Eskom’s approval process, the 5MW project is expected to be commissioned by mid-2026. SPS, in collaboration with Darling Green Utility, will oversee the distribution of this renewable energy, further cementing the estate’s role as a leader in sustainable power solutions.
The project has created significant short-term job opportunities, benefiting the local economy, with more jobs expected to be created in the medium term. Long-term plans involve expanding the grid from the solar farm to supply power to the entire town of Darling, a model that could be applied to other towns in South Africa.
Francois van Themaat, MD (Large Projects) at SPS, and Klaus-Gustav Göbel, founding shareholder of Darling Green Country Estate, expressed their enthusiasm for the project, stating: “We are proud to have commissioned this pioneering initiative in South Africa. We extend our gratitude to Swartland Municipality for their forward-thinking approach to renewable energy and their invaluable support in bringing this project to life. Residents of Darling Green Country Estate can take pride in knowing that their future energy needs will be met by the Swartland sun shining on the Darling solar plant.”
