If it’s not energy efficiency, it’s power rationing; if it’s not power-rationing, it’s load-shedding; if it’s not load-shedding it’s blackouts; and if it’s blackouts — well it’s just one big gemors. South Africa’s power crisis has commercial, industrial and domestic power users pulling their hair out in frustration as they search for ways to save power. But what can be done, and how?
Brazil and China, both developing countries facing similar electricity shortages, have addressed their problems using innovative strategies.
According to Barry Bredenkamp, the acting general operations manager at the National Energy Efficiency Agency, Brazil experienced similar shortages in 1996 and 2001. The South American country did two key things to address the problems, he says.
‘They rolled out nationwide efficient lighting campaigns — and introduced a very easy to understand and broad communications campaign,†he says.
A massive rollout of carbon fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) was initiated — whereby ordinary customers were given CFLs free of charge. Big industry and commercial users were encouraged to switch to CFLs through subsidies, says Bredenkamp.
A similar campaign has been completed in London. The ‘light bulb amnesty†saw Londoners exchanging their incandescent light bulbs for free CFLs for two days in December at any B&Q store across the city. This could save the British capital 500 000 tons of carbon emission and £135-million, the Guardian newspaper reported.
Bredenkamp says Brazil instituted an aggressive, highly visible and wide-reaching communications campaign, instructing electricity users in ways to save energy.
Other measures such as load-shedding, generator incentive schemes and power rationing were also instituted. But, says Bredenkamp, lighting use is a ‘universal factor†industry, commerce and domestic users can change to reduce consumption.
In China, says Bredenkamp, similar CFLs distribution programmes have helped the country to save power.
‘But since a large portion of the population is poor, 80% of household electricity consumption goes towards lighting,†he says.
Bredenkamp says that plans are also under way to begin the rollout of solar water heaters across the Asian giant. In December 2003, Shanghai saw massive power cuts that required commerce and big industry to switch off building heating from 10am to noon every day.
For South Africans, CFLs are still relatively expensive but with a 15% import duty on the bulbs this comes as no surprise. ‘As an emergency measure government could remove the 15% duty for, say, one to two years,†suggests Bredenkamp.
Eskom has run CFL exchange programmes in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. In December last year, KwaZulu-Natal customers could exchange working incandescent bulbs for the energy-saving variety. Similar programmes have been run in the Western Cape. The province was plagued by power cuts last year and about 5,3-million CFLs were handed out.
According to Trevor Milne, managing director of Tridonic Atco South Africa, there are relatively cost-effective and uncomplicated ways for electricity users to save energy.
Converting fluorescent lamp circuits in large buildings is one way. By converting from the old technology control gear that operates fluorescent lamp circuits, consumers can save up to 25% of lighting bills by simply installing an electronic ballast.
Currently more inefficient electromagnetic control gear is used in fluorescent lamp circuits across the country. According to Milne, D class and C class electromagnetic control gear, which includes an electromagnetic ballast, a capacitor and a glow starter, have been banned across Europe as an energy-saving measure.
Retrofitting light fixtures to accommodate electronic control gear is relatively low cost and does not require highly skilled labour. Installing a typical two-lamp 58-watt fluorescent lamp circuit fitted with good electronic control gear costs about R70 — a mere R10 more than the cost of installing fluorescent lamp circuits fitted with the old C class electromagnetic control gear. Â
There are other technologies including building management systems, motion sensors and daylight harvesting sensors that industrial users, commercial users and, in some cases, domestic users can also implement to save on power.
Motion sensors can be installed in large buildings to detect movement and switch lighting accordingly. When a building empties of people, the lights simply dim or switch off, saving 100% of the lighting power consumed .
Energy-efficient water heating is another way for South Africa to save power. In this country most household electricity goes towards water heating. Converting to solar water heating can cut household electricity consumption by as much as 50%.
The city of Cape Town hopes to promote the installation of solar water heating systems in all new buildings in the city. The aim is to make it a requirement for all new houses valued at R350Â 000 or more to have solar water-heating systems installed. But local government legislation does not have the scope to enforce changes in building practises. It is hoped, however, that an intergovernmental process, alongside the department of trade and industry, will begin in February, to review building regulations for the city.
Taxman to the rescue
Investors contributing to the Central Energy Fund’s (CEF) solar traffic lights project can look forward to a 150% tax write-off from the South African Revenue Service, writes Jocelyn Newmarch.
This is because Saneri, the CEF agency tasked with research into renewable energy, is allowed to claim tax deductions for direct costs on projects where it is the management entity. According to the CEF, these deductions will also apply to funders of the solar traffic lights project.
More than 2Â 000 critical traffic installations have been identified in Johannesburg, where installations will begin in the next few weeks. eThekwini, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay and Nelspruit will also benefit. A solar-powered traffic lights pilot project has been run in Cape Town since September last year.
Mputumi Damane, CE of the CEF group, said funding could top more than R100-million, as pledges continued to flow in. R40-million has already been committed by public and private sector stakeholders.
