Wesbank completes an exciting solar panel project

Wesbank and First National Bank reached an exciting milestone when they celebrated the completion of their solar panel installation project at the company’s Fairland premises.

The company has always been actively involved in creating and practising environmentally sustainable projects.

This time around, the company successfully installed more than 7 000 photovoltaic panels across 1 010 outdoor parking bays. Apart from providing shade to cars, the panels are able to produce close to two megawatts of power. The official switch-on ceremony took place on 7 November.

Wesbank Group CEO Chris de Kock said one of the main challenges, in the beginning, was trying to find parking space for 5 000 cars.

“Some of our staff had to park far distances from the office,” he said. “It was exciting to see the project on paper come to life and take shape. It was a highlight for the whole team.

“We often see these kinds of projects on TV or see them in other countries and think it would be nice to see it in our country. Now we have it on our doorstep and I’m fortunate to have a good view of it from my office every day. Every time I see it, I feel quite proud.”

This solar panel installation is one of WesBank and FNB’s initiatives to earn a five-star rating for its Fairland premises from the Green Building Council of South Africa.

De Kock added that he would love to see all buildings incorporating more environmentally friendly projects.

“We would be very happy to open our books and to share our experiences with other companies to show them the triple win we’ve had, for our environment, financially and for our stakeholders.”

Technical services manager Oupa Mabula has been part of the project since its inception about a year ago. He said the collaboration between the technical team, consultants, project managers and other stakeholders made the project a great success.

ALSO READ: Wesbank closer to completing solar panel project