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Private Estate — Harare
Our first installation in Zimbabwe — built off-grid, built to scale, and built to the same standard we apply to every project that carries our name.
- Solar PV
- 116 kWp
- Battery storage
- 234 kWh
The project
The brief was unambiguous: total energy independence, zero compromise on comfort, a system built to last. Multiple dwellings, a staff complex, and the full range of amenities a substantial estate carries — heated pools, underfloor heating, air conditioning, a pavilion — all drawing from one integrated off-grid architecture. With no utility connection to fall back on, every design decision carried real consequence.
Sunbird Solar does not deliver residential systems as a rule. The exception was made for the scale, complexity, and strategic significance of this build — and the work was approached on the same terms as every project that carries our name.
The system is built around the Victron Quattro platform, with multiple units configured in parallel to deliver 135 kW of inverter capacity. DC generation runs through 180 Canadian Solar 620W panels deployed across roof-mounted and ground-mounted arrays, feeding Victron SmartSolar MPPT controllers. 234 kWh of lithium storage provides overnight autonomy across all buildings.
On the AC side, two Fronius string inverters feed into the Victron AC bus — a deliberate architectural choice. Fronius is natively compatible with Victron's frequency-shift AC-coupling protocol, which means surplus is managed at the protocol layer rather than through additional integration hardware. The system is stable because the architecture is stable.
Phase 1 was engineered to grow. Inverter capacity, battery storage, and PV array can each be expanded without re-architecting the core. Phase 2 is already on the table — additional panels, additional storage, and a carport-mounted array to extend generation without consuming further ground footprint. Designing for expansion is not the same as leaving headroom. It is a different discipline.
All power electronics are housed in a purpose-built plant room — climate-controlled, cleanly cabled, finished to the standard of the system it contains. The work behind the wall is as considered as the work in front of it.
This is Phase 1. Phase 2 will follow.
Key facts
- Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
- Client: Private client
- Sector: Other
- System type: Off-Grid
- Solar PV: 116 kWp
- Battery storage: 234 kWh
- Scope highlights: 135 kW Inverter
- Status: Completed
First Zimbabwe installation
Sunbird Solar (Pty) Ltd
Unit 7, Wow Business Park, Gourly Road, Ballito, 4420, South Africa
Office: +27 87 711 3013
Email: jordan@sunbirdsolar.co.za