VEREENIGING – Midvaal Private Hospital in Three Rivers has taken a bold step toward energy independence with the launch of a powerful new solar and battery storage system — a move driven by years of crippling power outages in the Emfuleni Local Municipality.

On Tuesday, November 25, Standard Bank and hospital executives cut the ribbon on a 1.29 MW solar power plant paired with a 2.5 MWh battery energy storage system.

The installation, built in partnership with Bespoke Energy, is designed to keep critical hospital equipment running even during grid instability — and to slash the hospital’s electricity costs.

According to Standard Bank’s energy specialist Maudene van Rooyen, the system will generate 1.4 GWh of clean energy in its first year, reducing carbon emissions and easing pressure on the local grid.

“Reliable power is essential in theatres, life support systems and diagnostic equipment,” she said. “This project strengthens the hospital’s ability to deliver uninterrupted, high-quality care.”

Hospital manager André Joubert said load-shedding and escalating electricity costs left them no choice but to invest. “We can’t depend on the grid alone. From 05:00 to late afternoon, we now use zero grid power — we push power into the ground,” he said.

Construction wasn’t easy, with shipping delays, heavy rains and the need to rebuild roofs to support more than 2,000 solar panels, but the savings are already substantial.

Bespoke Energy managing director Jason Cockerill called the project a blueprint for South African healthcare.

The system includes state-of-the-art double conversion battery technology and was engineered to exceed normal regulatory limits, unlocking more generation capacity than standard rules allow.

The result? A hospital that is cleaner, more resilient, and no longer at the mercy of the failing municipal grid.