Electricity + Control September 2015

ENERGY + ENVIROFICIENCY

ROUND UP

Energy efficiency should be a strategic priority for corporate South Africa With Eskom struggling to generate enough electricity to meet the country’s energy needs and power costs steadily climbing, corporate South Africa has both the incentive and responsibility to embrace energy management as a strategic imperative. That’s the word from Jason Huang, director of Outreach Engineering, a youth-led, non-profit organisation that aims to bring engineering solutions to South Africa’s socioeconomic challenges. He says that companies can make a big difference as well as save money by implementing energy conservation and energy efficiencymeasures. Says Huang: “Addressing the shortfall in power generation capacity will take many years, which means that mandatory load shedding will be part of our lives for a while. That means we, as a nation, need to try and make as efficient use of the available power as we can, with the business sector having an especially important role to play.” “If enough businesses take these actions, we’ll see a domino ef- fect that helps reduce pressure on the grid and make for a greener SouthAfrica at the same time,” Huang says. “This could also create new jobs by creating demand for skills to drive energy manage- ment initiatives.” The project Outreach Engineering’s current project is the Heal Baragwanath project, a project designed to improve the reliability and efficiency of the main operating theatre complex of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. It is working closely with management at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital to revamp the hospital's backup power system and improve energy efficiency across its infrastructure.The work will help the hospital to keep operating throughout power outages as well as improve the quality of care it offers its many poor and needy patients Enquiries: Email info@outreachengineering.co.za

Loadshedding could be averted Huang says that stage one load shedding sheds 1 000 megawatts. That means load shedding could be averted if one million house- holds/businesses each reduce their consumption by 1 000 W. A substantial portion of this reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by switching to energy efficient light bulbs and switching off geysers, he adds. Companies should be looking at reducing energy consumption, not only to help lessen the blow of load shedding, but also because energy prices are climbing with Eskom seeking high tariff increases from the regulator. Meaningful energy management How should businesses begin to engage inmeaningful and quantifi- able energy management initiatives? Huang suggests: • Business decision-makers must make energy management an operational priority and seek expertise to drive and implement better energy management policies • They must measure and verify energy management initiatives to ensure these are quantifiable. This may also allow the busi- ness to tap into tax incentives • Companies must transition into green procurement practices to sustain their energy management policies • Businesses should help drive awareness programmes for employees, customers and other stakeholders.

About Outreach Engineering Outreach Engineering is a youth-led non-profit organisation with a unique approach to tackling public healthcare problems in South Africa. The organisation works alongside the government to address infrastructural shortfalls in South African public hospi- tals, with a specialist focus on energy efficiency and engineering services. By helping public hospitals to operate in a more stable and reliable manner, it aims to improve the quality of patient care. Outreach Engineering has partnered with the University of the Witwatersrand and benefits from the experience of some of the most highly regarded electrical engineers in the country. Other contributors include industry leaders such as Werksmans Attor- neys, Grant Thornton and Idea Engineers. Outreach Engineering is a registered non-profit company, non-profit organisation and Section 18A-approved public benefit organisation.

Jason Huang, director Outreach Engineering.

Students’ solar car takes on the world’s best

Engineering students at the North-West University will rub shoulders with the big

names in solar energy when they take part in the BridgestoneWorld Solar Challenge in Australia. Following the NWU’s successes with their participation in the local Sasol Solar challenges in 2012 and 2014, the team decided to build a better and faster vehicle propelled by solar energy.The first competition in which the NWU competed, covered more than 5 000 km and this team and that of the Tokai University in Japan shared the laurels. According to Professor Albert Helberg, team leader, they have now harnessed new

technology to make the new vehicle faster, lighter, more effective and stronger.This ve- hicle is propelled by the amount of energy used by a hair drier.The competition takes place from 18 to 26 October and starts in Darwin in the north of Australia fromwhere 45 vehicles from 25 countries will be racing more than 3 000 km across the country to Adelaide. “We should cover the distance in seven days but we are aiming to do it in five days,” says Helberg. Enquiries: Johan van Zyl. Email johan.vanzyl@nwu.ac.za

Electricity+Control September ‘15

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