Sparks Electrical News May 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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SPENDING ON SMART CITY TECHNOLOGIES IN AFRICA ON THE UP

S pending on the technologies that enable Smart City initiatives is forecast to reach $1.26 billion for Africa and Middle East region in 2018, according to the latest insights from International Data Corporation (IDC). In the first release of its Worldwide Semiannual Smart Cities Spend- ing Guide, the global technology research and consulting firm provides a detailed look at the technology investments associated with a range of Smart Citie's priorities and use cases. As these initiatives gain traction, IDC expects spending in MEA to accelerate over the 2016-2021 forecast period, reaching $2.30 billion in 2021. Cities across the region are implementing digital transformation initia- tives within urban ecosystems' financial and social outcomes. In IDC’s view, a Smart City begins to be developed whenmultiple smart initiatives are coordinated to leverage technology investments across an entire city, use common platforms to decrease service time/maintenance costs, share data across systems, and tie IT investments clearly to smart missions. Smart City programs are enabled by 3 rd Platform technologies, and emerging technologies are accelerated in the city ecosystem to deliver innovative solutions in very specific areas.

The strategic priorities in MEA that IDC believes will see the most spending in 2018 are sustainable planning and administration and in- telligent transportation. Intelligent traffic and transit, digital permitting, licensing and inspections, and Smart Cities platforms will be the region’s largest use cases in terms of spending in 2018, followed by in-car camera systems, smart kiosks, and fixed visual surveillance. The worldwide market for technologies enabling Smart Cities is ex- pected to grow at a five-year compound annual growth rate of 18.6% over the 2016-2021 period, and MEA is one of the regions that will see the fastest spending growth, with a CAGR of 21.2%. “2017 could be considered as the coming-of-age year for Smart Cities in the region,” said Jebin George, programme manager, IDC MEA. “The concept is being widely discussed and adopted in the region, early suc- cess stories are starting to emerge, almost all greenfield developments are incorporating smart technologies by default, and nations are develop- ing a common vision around the Smart City concept. The region is now getting into an exciting phase of the Smart City journey, characterised by wider adoption and faster growth.”

Enquiries: www.idc.com

REIPPP SIGNING A SYMBOL OF HOPE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS

ISOLATOR RANGE FROM EUROLUX

M inister Jeff Radebe’s signing of 27 outstanding Renewable En- ergy Independent Power Pur- chase Agreements on April 4 signifies the government’s commitment to economic growth and prosperity in South Africa. The outstanding Power Purchase Agreements formed part of the fourth round of REIPPP, South Africa’s world-renowned renewable energy procurement programme. “This signing has been a long time coming, and it’s a monumental moment for the South African renewable energy industry,” says Dr Chris Haw, Chairman of SOLA Future Energy, whose subsidiary company Aurora Power Solutions devel-

adoption will reduce the cost of electric- ity for households and businesses in the long run.” Renewable energy sources have a cheaper levelised cost of energy (LCOE) than coal and nuclear and their adoption shows the country’s commitment to in- ternational economic trends. The signing is expected to create at least 61 000 jobs over the next few years. Dr Haw explains that the signing also shows the government’s potential inter- est to move ahead with “Small Scale” IPP projects (SPP), a programme similar to the REIPPP but for smaller projects that contain a higher degree of local owner- ship. “The small IPP projects have huge potential to encourage eco- nomic growth. They have a sharp focus on BBBEE, local procurement, and local operation, which means that the economic spinoffs for lo- cal economies will be more pro- nounced per megawatt procured,” Dr Haw points out. S outh Africa’s new plug and socket standard, SANS 164-2 or ZA Plug, has become man- datory for new installations, the SABS has confirmed. This means that any new buildings erected must incorpo- rate electrical sockets that conform to the new standard. An amendment to the wiring code introduced in 2016 stated that the ZA Plug would become semi-mandatory for new installa- tions in March 2018. Each new plug point must have at least one socket that can accommodate a ZA Plug, it said. The amendment came into effect two months early, said the SABS, and from January 2018 all new installations must incorporate the ZA Plug. The ZA Plug has the same hex- agonal profile as the Europlug seen on cellphone chargers, but includes an earth pin. It is substantially more compact than South Africa’s three- prong plug standard, and has much Enquiries: www.solafuture.co.za

oped 170 mW worth of solar PV projects that are currently in preferred bidder sta- tus and have been awaiting execution. Since 2015, after three successful rounds of procurement, the programme has stalled despite significant capital in- vestment and job creation that had been created. However, the low cost, low carbon advantages of renewables have now been recognised by the South African govern- ment as critical to the country’s future. Dr Haw adds that this signing shows that the South African government is committed to the country’s economic de- velopment. “Renewables are cheaper and more sustainable forms of energy. Their

EUROLUX launched the new isolator range in mid-2017 to complement its existing range of electrical products. The iso- lators, which are used for air-conditioners, pumps and motors, are weather proof and carry an IP rating of 66. The isolators come in the following ranges: 1 pole, 2 pole, 3 pole and 4 pole.

Enquiries: www.eurolux.co.za

NEW SOUTH AFRICAN PLUG STANDARD IS MANDATORY FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS

thinner pins. Adoption of the standard has been slow, however. Gianfranco Campetti, the chairman of the working group that looks after the standard, said industry has been slow to respond and use the stand- ard in essential products. He said the appliance industry in particu- lar has been slow to provide goods with the new plug. The switch When the IEC first began develop- ment on IEC–906–1, which became IEC60906–1, it was trying to estab- lish a universal plug and socket sys- tem. Despite its efforts, commercial and political interests caused the standardisation initiative to fail in Eu- rope – and Brazil and South Africa are the only countries to have adopt- ed the 250 V standard. However, Bra- zil deviated from the standard by de- livering either 127 V or 220 V mains using the same socket.

Japan and the United States have plugs and sockets that are compatible with the IEC’s envi- sioned global standard for 125 V sockets. Talk of adopting the new standard locally began in South Af- rica in 1993, and a version of SANS 164–2 that dates back to 2006 is available online. According to the SABS, the ZA Plug appeared in South Africa’s wiring code (SANS 10142–1) during 2012. Old standard still legal Although it is now required to inte- grate sockets which comply with the ZA Plug standard in new buildings, the old standard remains legal. The wiring code amendment also does not affect existing buildings, including homes. It is therefore not currently necessary for South Africans to switch the electrical sockets in their homes.

Source: www.mybroadband.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MAY 2018