Background
Nando's Feitoria is the primary production and distribution hub for Nando's South Africa, supplying sauces, marinades, and prepared foods to restaurants and retail across the country. Located in Halfway House, Midrand, the facility runs continuous production lines with high daytime electricity demand. Rising Eskom tariffs were eating into margins, and Nando's identified owned solar as the most direct route to long-term cost certainty.
Challenge
The facility runs high-load processing and refrigeration equipment throughout the day — well-suited to solar, but demanding in terms of system sizing. The rooftop presented multiple orientations and structural constraints requiring careful engineering to maximise yield. Nando's needed a solution with a clear payback case and minimal disruption during installation.
Solution
SOCO ENERGY designed and installed a 327kWp grid-tied system across the available rooftop sections, optimised to match the facility's peak production load profile. The system was built using Canadian Solar panels and Sungrow PV inverters, installed in 4 weeks with no disruption to production. Delivered as a cash purchase, Nando's holds full ownership of the asset from day one.
Outcome
From commissioning, the Feitoria facility achieved a 30% reduction in grid electricity consumption during production hours. Full ownership means Nando's captures 100% of the energy benefit with no ongoing payments. System performance has exceeded initial yield projections, with the payback period tracking ahead of schedule as Eskom tariffs continue to rise.