Fortress Real Estate Investments has reached a significant sustainability mark, having generated 100-million kilowatt-hours (100 gigawatt-hours) of renewable energy since launching its first rooftop solar installation in 2017.
According to the group, the clean energy output is sufficient to power about 9,000 urban homes or 28,000 rural homes for one year.
It has installed over 9,300 solar panels and 401 inverters across an area of 205,000 square metres — equivalent to 30 rugby fields — which represents nearly one-third of Fortress’s total retail portfolio gross lettable area (GLA), it said.
The sustainability mark follows Growthpoint’s expansion of green energy to its office buildings through wheeling to reduce carbon footprints. Redefine Properties recently signed a 20-year renewable energy wheeling agreement with NOA Trading that will supply 37GWh of clean energy annually to 11 of its Eskom-connected properties.
According to head of sustainability PC Potgieter, the group’s approach goes beyond solar installations. It is about developing an efficient, environmentally responsible operating model that benefits tenants and creates shareholder value.
“Solar energy remains a central element of Fortress’s energy strategy, providing cost savings and mitigating risks associated with grid instability and rising electricity tariffs,” Potgieter said.
The expansion is expected to raise renewable energy penetration in Fortress’s portfolio from 18% to 24% by June 2026.
In addition, the group has installed backup generators at 32 retail centres, with three more planned by mid-2026. Smart metering technology, covering 79% of the retail portfolio (30 centres), provides near real-time data on consumption and energy sources, enabling operational benchmarking and efficiency improvements.
As of June 30 2025, the group operates 96 solar PV systems, including sites in Poland and Romania, with a total installed capacity of 35.49MWac. By December 2025, Fortress aims to add a further 10 plants, taking the total number of installations to 106 with an installed capacity at 37.71MWac, the group said.
“To complement its energy strategy, Fortress has implemented water resilience measures including backup water tanks at 30 retail centres, providing up to three days of supply during outages; on-site borehole systems at 14 properties; and pilot and rollout of water-saving technologies such as Propel air toilets to reduce consumption,” the group said.
Looking forward, the group said since most of its infrastructure is in place, it is now shifting focus from installation to optimisation.
“It’s not just about how much solar we’ve installed,” said Potgieter. It’s about how effectively we manage the systems we’ve built. We’re saving money, reducing risk, and improving our environmental footprint.”
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