Kalambo: The IITA Campus in South Kivu Is Powered 100% by Solar Energy
The IITA Kalambo campus is going 100% solar thanks to GoShop Energy. Find out how our custom-built hybrid power plant supports scientific research by eliminating dependence on the public grid and generators.
50%
CO2 reduction
50%
energy saving
6.000
tons produced every year
For research centers, energy is not just a convenience—it is the driving force behind innovation. A power outage risked compromising experiments, losing valuable data, and wiping out weeks of scientific work.
Take, for example, the IITA site in Kalambo. Caught between an unreliable public grid and a generator limited to business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), researchers were left stranded as soon as night fell. For an institution that is a pillar of food security and biotechnology in the DRC, this energy insecurity was a barrier to progress.
How can a stable power supply be guaranteed for the IITA site in a region where power outages are frequent?
To secure the campus’s power supply, GoShop Energy designed a 90 kVA/160 kWh/86.4 kWp hybrid solar power plant, specifically sized to provide power to all buildings.
The installation includes:
Solar Power Generation
192 450 Wc photovoltaic panels
Power Conversion
- 6 Victron Energy converters,
- 4 MPPT 250/100 solar controllers
- 2 Fronius Eco 27 grid-tied inverters
Energy Storage
32 BYD lithium batteries, 5 kWh each
Energy Security
1 backup generator for emergency situations
A scalable system architecture
GoShop Energy’s expertise is characterized by sustainability. In light of the expanding operations of the Advanced African Agriculture Leadership Institute (AALI) on the same site, we anticipated the increase in power demand. A dedicated 10 kVA/50 kWh/35 kWp expansion was integrated, allowing us to separate energy flows and ensure optimal performance for each entity.
Results and Impact
The campus manages its energy completely independently. The batteries take over as soon as the sun sets, making the generator obsolete. IITA Kalambo now has the stability it needs to carry out its strategic missions.
GoShop Energy is transforming access to energy through a combination of technical expertise and a precise analysis of each client’s needs.
Is your organization still subject to the vagaries of the grid or the costs of fuel?
Contact us 👉🏼https://www.goshop.cd/contact-us
GoShop Energy, Your Energy Provider