In commercial property efficiency is the foundation on which every other part of the energy mix depends.
Black River Office Park
portfolio, where more than 40MW of its 52MW installed capacity is in retail, compared with just 4.6MW in offices and 7.4MW in industrial. Solar installations on carports are also emerging, particularly in retail environments. They extend the available surface area for solar while offering practical benefits such as shading for cars. Together these projects reflect a broader industry trend to make every square metre of usable space contribute to generation.
lower the operating costs of an office block in another. The next development is virtual wheeling. Many properties fall under municipalities that do not yet have wheeling frameworks in place. Virtual wheeling allows businesses to continue receiving their utility bills from the municipality, while Eskom handles reconciliation and refunds for wheeled energy. This means that energy procurement can become cleaner and more cost-efficient without immediate changes to tenant
The case for onsite renewables After demand has been reduced, onsite renewables are often the next lever to consider. In South Africa, retail centres are the most natural fit. Large rooftops and steady seven-day demand mean solar power can be generated and consumed onsite. Offices, by contrast, face more constraints: roof space is smaller, often shaded, and weekday occupancy means demand does not always match solar production. This is reflected in Redefine’s
Unlocking power beyond the site Onsite generation has limits. Office roofs are small, industrial demand is low, and even the largest retail installations cannot cover a building’s needs year round. To move beyond those constraints, property owners are turning to wheeling. This allows electricity generated in one location to be credited to consumption in another, using the national grid as the balancing mechanism. For commercial real estate, it means that a solar farm in one province can
October 2025 | Issue 141 | Asset Magazine 93
92 Asset Magazine | Issue 141 | October 2025
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