During the latter part of 2022, the country’s two largest supermarket groups – Shoprite and Pick n Pay – spent a combined R906 million on diesel for generators at stores. Woolworths spent R90 million (primarily at its Food stores), taking that total to R1 billion*.
This is an astonishing number across roughly 3 000 grocery stores in South Africa, and one that was concentrated in the last few months of the year where elevated levels of load shedding (above Stage 4) were in place practically continuously.
The most common retort to this is ‘Why don’t retailers just install solar?’
After all, a handful of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, a modestly sized inverter and a battery or two will keep the household essentials running during load shedding.
If only it was that simple.
The first complication is where the supermarket is located.
For supermarkets inside large (and even ‘biggish’ malls), the available rooftop space is owned by the landlord.