Astrid Forbes is one of those remarkable women who is as at home in a boardroom as she is on the beach. Her gorgeous ready smile and compassionate nature, coupled with her intellect and sharpness make her someone you won’t easily forget. She is a nurturing mother, and loyal friend and loves having a houseful of people to cook for (must be her Italian genes) but is by no means a pushover and holds her own in a male-dominated industry.
As the co-founder of Genergy, she and her business partner, Terry Bilson, have watched as their company has gone from being a small business, back in the days when people were still sceptical about renewable energy, to one of South Africa’s top commercial solar providers. From their beginnings installing solar water heaters in Khayelitsha, they have graduated to the field of big players in the industry. They have recently completed a 5MW (Megawatt) Solar PV Power Generation Plant. They are currently busy with a 3MW Car Port Solar PV Power Generation Plant in the Eastern Cape and another 3MW ground mount Hybrid Solar Plant in the Western Cape.
In August 2021, Astrid and her beautiful family made the move from Port Elizabeth to St Francis. As with many parents of coastal kids, they were spending weekends chasing the surf. So, to make life simpler, they bought a rambling fixer-upper that could accommodate their large family and Nonna, as well as the never-ending stream of guests.
A while ago, we chatted with Astrid to learn more about Genergy and the inner workings of the solar industry. You will be amazed – there is so much more to it than one imagines.
DD: We know Genergy is involved with renewable energy. Can you tell us how you started in the industry?
AF: In 2008, we started as an ESCO (Energy Services Company to Eskom). There were incentives to take load off the grid and this was done with energy efficiency rather than renewable generation. This meant looking for opportunities to reduce the demand on the grid, for example, by making more efficient hot water.
We began by installing solar water or hot water facilities for changing houses in the mining sector as they use a lot of hot water for showering between shifts. We also got involved in a CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) project launched in Khayelitsha, Cape Town where we did the first installations of low-pressure hot water systems on RDP homes.
This project was so special because as it made such a difference to the community involved. We trained residents (including females) to do the installations and maintain the systems. We noticed the impact that having access to hot water to have a bath in the townships made in lowering health issues amongst the community in winter. Inevitably, after a few years, financial incentives by Eskom ended and these low-pressure hot water programs ceased to exist.
In the field of renewables, we have always had solar photovoltaic panels that create electricity from the sun. However, it was typically a very expensive return on investment. So, Genergy waited and watched prices as more and more manufacturers came online, especially in China. Then prices of panels started becoming more affordable and the technology improved to a point where the same-size panels became more efficient. The big milestone was reaching grid parity in 2017.
Finally, as the price of electricity matched the investment for solar it made sense to install solar panels and it became much easier to sell. The minute that happened, we got involved. The transition was quite easy as we already had experience working with solar energy, all we did was train our team to do roof installations. We still do large-scale hot water systems, but it’s not a big part of our business. Our focus now is large-scale solar PV.
DD: What attracted you to this industry?
AF: After moving back to Port Elizabeth from Johannesburg when I had kids, I wanted to find something that would allow me to work from home (I had two small kids under the age of one). I had worked as an accounts manager in the advertising industry previously so was looking for something similar and after working a couple years in the advertising industry, I met Terry Billson who had just founded Genergy, and I knew this was something that interested me. In January 2008, he launched Genergy and I became part of the founding team.
DD: Genergy has been offering renewable energy for over 16 years now. Has the uptick of loadshedding and the demand for solar impacted you and what are some of the challenges facing those in the industry?
AF: Although it has been quite bad over the last year, it’s not the first time we’ve had increased power cuts. The difference is that in 2008, when it all started, we still had hope that things could improve. Now, the general feeling is that Eskom is broken and if you’re going to live in this country, you need to have an alternative plan to survive.
Non-Compliant Homes: For solar, the recent years have been hugely impactful, especially with the huge need in the domestic sector. There are a lot of newcomers on board who are not always doing compliant installations. Everyone is learning as they go, and the challenges brought about by low electrical standards and homes that have been poorly wired make things harder in the domestic space. In many instances, we arrive at a job where electrical wiring isn’t compliant and you have to troubleshoot until you can locate the issue. There are all kinds of issues, especially as houses have grown over time and things weren’t done properly. So, we have to make the house compliant before we can even start an installation.
Affordability: Last year they released tax incentives for commercial solar which will continue this year, the domestic solar tax incentive has now expired. We had load-shedding for all but 30 days of 2023 – 2024 is expected to be similar. There’s also talk about the risks of a complete grid failure. The repercussions would be disastrous, even if you have solar. Cell phone towers will be down, meaning no communication or banking – not to mention water and sewage systems. So, I think that industries that are able to help alleviate the demand on the grid, should certainly investigate solar opportunities for their facilities.
It would be beneficial if there were easier financing options out there as this is a major hurdle, especially in poorer communities, although we are seeing a huge improvement on this front in recent times. South Africa needs to roll out larger-scale projects that can provide energy to entire communities (mini-grids and mini-off grids) and not just industry, this is just one of many of the problems we face in South Africa. It’s a tricky environment where theft and corruption are rife – luckily South Africans are quite resilient and creative.
DD: Do you have any inside information on the development of large-scale photovoltaic solar systems in our area and what are some of the challenges you are encountering?
AF: Compliancy Process and Municipal Involvement:
There has been movement at government levels and local municipalities where they are now allowing large-scale arrays. It’s been such a big hurdle to get across to get all the compliance boxes ticked and get large-scale farms online to where they are producing power and either feeding a grid or a community. We completed a 5MW solar farm in Somerset West and the compliance side of things was very complex – you don’t just generate 5MW and switch on. Timelines are also an issue. There are so many applications and both Eskom and municipalities are inundated. Sadly, many municipalities don’t have the skills to deal with these applications.
It is all new and legislation is very specific (although sometimes blurry) when it comes to system configurations and connections. So, you end up knocking on doors, constantly trying to push for outcomes and get your design and systems approved so that you can enter the build phase, get online, and go live. Additionally, these boxes need to be ticked before financiers will fund these kinds of projects. If there’s even a small chance that you won’t meet the strict compliance parameters, they will not take the risk. Large-scale solar farms can take up to two years to get approved and grid impact assessment often takes months as well. Legislation is one of our biggest challenges.
DD: As a female in a male world, do you have any funny stories to share?
AF: Some of my Chinese suppliers call me Mr. Astrid. Imagine their surprise when they realise that I am not a mister! I don’t have too many funny stories, although it is a challenge at times being a female in a male-dominated profession. I am very conscious of this and over the years have learned that it is better to listen and observe first and then pass comment once I have the full picture. This way tends to garner more respect from others.
Terry often says that the softest thing about me is my teeth! I have no idea how he gets to that – but I guess it makes everyone feel uneasy when I am quiet. I speak my mind when I must and in difficult situations, when someone is out of line, I will say what is needed. I try not to speak out in anger, as that rarely ends well.
DD: What are some of the challenges with this kind of business?
AF: Skilled Labour:
Finding and retaining technical and engineering talent is very hard as these skills are in high demand and not many people who have the right training. We train our employees and I think this is something we do well. It also helps us retain staff. We understand there are incentives to go to bigger cities, so we try to create an environment that values its employees and recognises and rewards their achievements and efforts. This has been a wonderful process. It is great to see comments on social media from family members or friends congratulating our employees on their work.
Unpaid Engineering Time for Quotes:
We are one of the few industries that often don’t get remunerated for engineering time. We’re expected to tender which takes hours of unpaid engineering time. It’s not just quoting components; to tender correctly, you must design the full system to quote for the components.
Staying True to the Mission:
“Dedicated to quality, efficient, renewable systems to create a more sustainable future.”
At the moment solar is such a needed industry that our demand is more than we can meet, and we have to turn some clients away as we can’t deliver the quality service we uphold if we are working beyond our capacity. Genergy has grown substantially in the last 12 months. Many of our competitors are trying to stay as fair as possible when it comes to pricing and not take advantage of the current need, our environment is very competitive. We constantly remind ourselves that we are in renewables, and we have to stay true to our mission which is to deliver turnkey quality projects and provide maximum savings to our clients.