The Drive For Energy Efficiency

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The South African energy landscape has grown leaps and bounds over the last number of years. Driven by intense loadshedding, the commercial and industrial sectors have had to embark on journeys of becoming less reliant on the grid for uninterrupted electricity supply.

South Africa imported more the USD3,4bn worth of solar panels, inverters and lithium-ion batteries in 2023 to end-November (Business Day, 2024). This is testament to the desperation businesses and individuals alike are facing due to the electricity crisis currently being faced by the country.

While we often see the demand of solar systems shift with loadshedding primarily in the residential space, the commercial and industrial industries have pressed on with implementing solutions that will allow them to continuously operate despite the loadshedding levels.

The Shift from Alternative Power to Critical Power.

Over the last decade Eskom has consistently pushed for double-digit increases on their electricity tariffs which the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has approved. During the early onsets of these approvals, coupled with low levels of loadshedding, businesses started to look for alternative sources of power and the reasons are two-fold.

Firstly, alternative sources of power like solar PV systems offered cheaper methods of energy provision to mitigate the rising costs of electricity. Back then, due to low levels of loadshedding, diesel generators were an acceptable solution in offering a steady form of power supply without too much disruption and cost. Generators are however primarily built for short bursts of operation and infrequent power provision to allow backup power for operations to continue to operate. The show could go on, as businesses widely accepted that there may be disruptions in trade during change over periods, albeit brief.
Secondly, with the increase in loadshedding frequency, diesel generators were starting to work harder than they were designed to, and the operating costs were shooting through the roof. They needed frequent servicing which added to their running costs, and their increased downtime coupled with the increased loadshedding and fuel prices was a perfect storm that was causing businesses to struggle to run profitably.

The introduction of Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS) as an offering in the industry has become a viable alternative to generators as they can be sized to profitably counter the effects of load shedding. Rather than serve as just an alternative source of power, through careful engineering and integration with solar PV system, the solutions have become a source of critical power for the business sector, especially the industrial sector. Hybrid solutions have proven popular in this way and as a service provider of these solutions, we are able to give customers peace of mind that there will be seamless transitions between grid, PV, BESS, generator.

Where to Start

The successful implementation of a renewable energy project starts with the collection and interpretation of accurate energy data. We have to figure out for example, when is the most power used, how frequent and for how long. We have to figure out, how long the grid down times are and when are they happening. We aim to deliver a project that serves the needs of the end user.

Data collection and interpretation is the foundation from which a business can start its energy transition journey. It is hugely empowering to understanding how power is used in the premises of a business, both for the service provider and the client. Through our data collection process, we are able to identify energy inefficiencies such as unwanted spikes. We are able to audit your billing from your municipality or Eskom and more importantly, we can design and engineer systems that are built for the task at hand.

Future Focused

Legislative requirements have a funny way of surprising us. This was apparent when the government put a notice on specific buildings that they had to get the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) audits completed by end December 2023. The panic that ensued was palpable as property owners were asking questions such as “what is an EPC?”; “who does this EPC audits?”; “what are their costs and implications?”; “what do they do?” This experience has taught us to always stay on top of any and all looming legislative discussions that are going on and make sure that we are ready to assist our clients with anything that may be required of them.

A lot of forward-looking businesses have also committed themselves to being part of the United Nations ESG goals for 2030. While one may not have time to fully answer all these questions in this article, the short of it is that businesses who have insight into their energy data are the ones that will be most capable of tackling the requirements of the current energy crisis in South Africa, EPC requirements and achieving their ESG goals. The ability to tackle anything starts with one’s ability to gather the data because you cannot manage, what you do not measure.

Tafadzwa Chakanyuka (Chuck)

Tafadzwa is a distinguished Certified Energy Manager with over five years of invaluable experience in the energy industry. Throughout his career, he has exhibited expertise and versatility across various domains including utilities, metering, data management, reporting, and visualization. His profound understanding of energy systems and dedication to sustainable practices have positioned him as a leading figure within his organisation. Currently, Tafadzwa is enthusiastically transitioning towards Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, aiming to leverage his skills and knowledge to drive impactful change in the realm of sustainability.

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go2Energy Technical Journal

Issue 4

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