Electricity and Control February 2022

ENERGY MANAGEMENT + THE INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT

Shared technologies boost energy efficiency

Towards the end of 2021, the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Energy Solutions ‘Made in Germany’ showcased a number of award-winning projects recognised for their energy efficiency achievements using innovative German technologies.

S peaking at the awards event, Matthias Boddenberg, Chief Executive of the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “With energy prices on the rise and the global drive to reduce the carbon footprint of indus- try, business and households, economic prosperity and compet- itiveness increasingly depend on our ability to use sustainable energy sources and energy efficient solutions in industrial pro- cesses.” Boddenberg referred to Germany’s high energy efficiency standards and the German Energy Solutions Initiative which has resulted in the development of innovative energy efficiency tech- nologies, businesses and institutions that can support energy conservation in all fields. The transfer of thisenergyexpertise, thesharingof technologies and technical know-how, the promotion of foreign trade and the facilitation of international development cooperation are part of the German Energy Solutions Initiative. Coordinated and financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the initiative is implemented with partners such as the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the German Energy Agency (dena) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The showcase event in Johannesburg provided a platform to raise the profile of the very relevant issue of energy efficiency in South Africa and to demonstrate innovative and proven technol- ogies in important areas for efficiency interventions. It highlighted successful South African-German private sector partnerships, which have led to increased levels of energy efficiency in indus- try and buildings, reduced energy costs and contributed to lower CO 2 emissions. Energy efficiency is a key instrument that can be used to curtail the energy crisis, as the reduction of consumption and load would effectively reduce energy demand and alleviate the pressure on Eskom’s infrastructure. Industrial companies bene- fit directly from implementing energy efficiency measures which enable them to lower their costs, increase their competitiveness and maintain growth. In the wider perspective, the population at large benefits through prevented job losses, reduced load shed- ding requirements – at the same time reducing its severe social impacts, and reduced negative environmental impacts. As the industrial sector remains the largest energy-consuming sector, accounting for 45% of all electricity consumed, the role of energy efficiency in industry to reduce national power demand cannot be overstated. Energy efficiency and energy management interventions have proven to deliver significant energy savings in the South African industrial environment. This is demonstrat- ed by the five award-winning South African-German Showcase

Projects, among others. Furthermore, the pro- jects demonstrate the benefits for industry of considering energy opti- misation as an integrated aspect of productivity op- timisation and growth.

The five award-winning projects demonstrate the benefits of energy efficien- cy in diverse interventions and point to cases that are widely replicable in industry across the country. ƒ CS Instruments - Compressed air system optimisation at a foundry. This project led to an annual energy saving of 4 816 MWh and achieved a payback period of less than three months. ƒ Wilo Pumps SA - Hoopstad wastewater pump stations. The retrofitting of a pump station with Wilo’s Emu-Port solid separation systems resulted in savings in power consump- tion of up to 25% and reduced maintenance costs by more than 60%. ƒ SustainPower - Distell Springs – 440 kW biogas combined heat and power plant. The CHP plant converts biogas from organic wastewater into electricity for use on site. Distell sees an average daily reduction of 6 000 kWh drawn from the grid. The project payback period is calculated to be less than three years. ƒ Professional Light Control installation at Steinel Distributors Southern Africa – DSV Park Gauteng. The installation of advanced KNX German motion and presence detectors provides for occupancy- and lux level- based lighting control – adapting according to the natural light coming into the warehouse. An electricity saving of 60% is achieved, compared to energy consumption of the replaced conventional system. ƒ Siemens campus microgrid. The innovative system com- bines distributed power generation and energy manage- ment, including smart metering and control of use. Overall an 80% reduction in electricity costs has been achieved and energy demand from the national grid has been re- duced by about 40%. Awards were presented to five projects recognised for their energy efficiency achievements.

For more information visit: https://suedafrika.ahk.de/en/

FEBRUARY 2022 Electricity + Control

9