Search
Enter your search term
*Limited to most recent 250 articles
Use advanced search to set an earlier date range
Where?
With?
When?
Sponsored by
Saving articles
Articles can be saved for quick future reference. This is a subscriber benefit. If you are already a subscriber, please log in to save this article. If you are not a subscriber, click on the View Subscription Options button to subscribe.
Article Saved
Article Removed
Login
Contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za
Forgot Password
Please enter the email address that you used to subscribe on Engineering News. Your password will be sent to this address.
Content Restricted
This content is only available to subscribers
REAL ECONOMY NEWS
sponsored by
Article Enquiry
EGA commissions solar panel plant in Paarl
EGA commissions solar panel plant in Paarl
Should you have feedback on this article, please complete the fields below.
Please indicate if your feedback is in the form of a letter to the editor that you wish to have published. If so, please be aware that we require that you keep your feedback to below 300 words and we will consider its publication online or in Creamer Media’s print publications, at Creamer Media’s discretion.
We also welcome factual corrections and tip-offs and will protect the identity of our sources, please indicate if this is your wish in your feedback below.
Email This Article
separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses
Sponsored by
EGA commissions solar panel plant in Paarl
André Moolman
As a magazine-and-online subscriber to Creamer Media’s Engineering News & Mining Weekly, you are entitled to one free research report of your choice. You would have received a promotional code at the time of your subscription. Have this code ready and click here. At the time of check-out, please enter your promotional code to download your free report.
Email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za if you have forgotten your promotional code.
If you have previously accessed your free report, you can purchase additional Research Reports by clicking on the “Buy Report” button on this page.
The most cost-effective way to access all our Research Reports is by subscribing to Creamer Media’s Research Channel Africa – you can upgrade your subscription now at this link.
The most cost-effective way to access all our Research Reports is by subscribing to Creamer Media’s Research Channel Africa – you can upgrade your subscription now at this link.
For a full list of Research Channel Africa benefits, click here
If you are not a subscriber, you can either buy the individual research report by clicking on the ‘Buy Report’ button, or you can subscribe and, not only gain access to your one free report, but also enjoy all other subscriber benefits, including 1) an electronic archive of back issues of the weekly news magazine; 2) access to an industrial and mining projects browser; 3) access to a database of published articles; and 4) the ability to save articles for future reference.
At the time of your subscription, Creamer Media’s subscriptions department will be in contact with you to ensure that you receive a copy of your preferred Research Report. The most cost-effective way to access all our Research Reports is by subscribing to Creamer Media’s Research Channel Africa – you can upgrade your subscription now at this link.
If you are a Creamer Media subscriber, click here to log in.
4th May 2026
By: Irma Venter
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor
Font size: – +
Ener-G-Africa (EGA) has commissioned its Western Cape solar panel manufacturing facility in Paarl.
The plant has a nameplate assembly capacity of up to 150 MW a year on a three-shift operation.
The operation currently operates on a single shift with around 30 employees, and is in a production ramp-up phase, with output scaling up in line with market demand, says EGA CEO André Moolman.
The facility assembles 550 W monocrystalline PERC modules, but can produce smaller formats, as well as higher-wattage modules in the 600-W-plus range with a bifacial configuration.
The line is also capable of using TOPCon cell technology – a new, more advanced type of technology – with some machinery adjustments.
“From a production standpoint, the objective is to scale with demand, moving from a single shift toward two, and eventually three shifts as the market develops,” notes Moolman.
“Getting the line running at or near its nameplate capacity is the clear operational goal.”
EGA Solar is part of a broader group operating in the sub-Saharan African solar and clean energy space, with EGA established in Malawi in 2017.
Paarl offers good access to the Port of Cape Town for component imports, established industrial infrastructure and a skilled labour pool, explains Moolman.
“The Western Cape government was also proactive and supportive from the very start, which made a real difference.”
The EGA Group has another manufacturing facility, also in Paarl, giving it shared infrastructure and a combined workforce of around 55 people.
The Malawi business remains active, with 11 retail outlets, and the group has recently extended its retail footprint into Zambia.
EGA is one of only two solar panel manufacturers operating in South Africa.
The company manufactures panels for residential, commercial and agricultural use, and does not operate in the utility-scale segment.
“This allows us to remain focused on the installer market, where responsiveness, proximity and service are critical,” says Moolman.
Local Assembly Benefits
Local assembly means taking specialised, internationally sourced components, such as crystalline silicon PV cells, low-iron, anti-reflective solar glass, anodised aluminium module frames, EVA encapsulant film and composite backsheets, and assembling them into finished modules, explains Moolman.
“These are not generic industrial materials; each is engineered specifically for solar module production.”
None of these components are manufactured in South Africa, he adds
“That’s not a gap in local capability, it’s an economic reality. The domestic solar assembly market is not yet at the scale needed to justify the capital investment required for upstream component manufacturing. Solar-cell fabrication alone is a multibillion-dollar industry in its own right.
“What we control at Paarl is the assembly process, backed by local engineering oversight, process control, testing to international standards, and direct accountability for performance and warranty support.”
“Where innovation does come in, is in module design and specification,” he notes.
“We design our panels in-house and source components accordingly.
“Having our own assembly line also gives us the flexibility to produce different module sizes and configurations in response to what our market actually wants, rather than being limited to whatever is available at a given time.
“That is a meaningful capability in a market where product consistency and availability are real constraints.”
If local assembly in the industry on the whole can grow to sufficient scale, it could create the conditions for upstream suppliers to develop, believes Moolman.
Companies already making glass, aluminium and similar materials could potentially produce solar-specific components locally, deepening the value chain over time.
“The automotive sector is a useful parallel. South Africa has a well-established vehicle assembly industry that coexists with imports, contributes meaningfully to the economy, and has attracted a broader supplier ecosystem around it.
“There is no reason solar assembly cannot follow a similar path.”
There is also a real cash flow benefit in sourcing locally, notes Moolman.
“Buyers can procure when a project is confirmed rather than committing capital to carry large inventory. This working capital difference is significant.
“The other value is consistency and accountability. The local market is supplied by a variety of brands, wattages and panel dimensions, and what is available at any given time can vary dramatically.
“A locally assembled panel with a consistent specification makes system design, mounting configurations and future additions to existing installations more straightforward – you know exactly what you are getting from the same supplier every time.
“And if a warranty issue arises, having a local manufacturer who is directly accountable makes a big difference,” says Moolman.
“Pursuing a warranty claim with an international supplier is a far more complex process than dealing directly with the company that made the product in-country.”
EGA does not manufacture or assemble batteries.
Evolving Technology
Solar technology has evolved significantly over the past few years, primarily through incremental improvements in cell efficiency and module design, notes Moolman.
The industry has largely transitioned from polycrystalline to monocrystalline cells, with newer technologies such as TOPCon improving efficiency and long-term performance.
Back-contact cell architectures are also emerging at the higher end of the market.
At the module level, advances such as half-cut cells, multi-busbar designs and larger wafer formats have all contributed to improved output and reliability.
One of the most visible outcomes of this has been the steady increase in module wattage, with modern panels delivering significantly higher power from a similar footprint compared to earlier generations, notes Moolman.
Bifacial modules have also become more common, particularly in commercial and utility-scale applications, where the ability to generate power from both sides of the panel can improve overall system yield.
“Beyond the panel itself, the broader technology shift has been toward system integration, particularly the pairing of solar with battery storage,” says Moolman.
“While solar module costs have fallen substantially, the more transformative shift has arguably been in storage costs, which have dropped to the point where solar-plus-storage systems now undercut grid tariff costs at the meter in most markets. This has fundamentally changed the economics of solar adoption.”
Edited by Creamer Media Reporter
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Developed to exceed the latest EN 15964 standards for police breathalysers proving that it will remain accurate and reliable for many years to come.
Your one-stop global energy-solution partner
Latest Multimedia
sponsored by
Press Office
Announcements
What’s On
Subscribe to improve your user experience…
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media’s Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media’s Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
MAGAZINE & ONLINE
R1500 (equivalent of R125 a month)
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media’s Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
All benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media’s Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
CORPORATE PACKAGES
Discounted prices based on volume
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
301
Email Registration Success
Thank you, you have successfully subscribed to one or more of Creamer Media’s email newsletters. You should start receiving the email newsletters in due course.
Our email newsletters may land in your junk or spam folder. To prevent this, kindly add newsletters@creamermedia.co.za to your address book or safe sender list. If you experience any issues with the receipt of our email newsletters, please email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za
Copyright © 2026
