Johannesburg’s City Power has implemented load reduction in parts of the city, posing a significant threat to local businesses. The utility has targeted areas with high electricity usage levels to prevent system overloads.
Impact on Businesses
While the primary impact of load reduction will be on residences, local businesses are also facing severe disruptions. According to Dr. Andrew Dickson, Engineering Executive at CBI-electric: low voltage, these power outages halt production, reducing output and profitability.
- Operational Challenges: “For a number of companies operating in Johannesburg’s industrial sector, the switch-off of machinery could render them unable to operate for extended periods as it can take equipment anywhere from a few hours to more than 24 hours to return to operation,” explained Dickson.
- Economic Impact: “With outages now occurring multiple times a day in parts of Johannesburg, this will bring business to a standstill and could even force several companies to close.”
The economic ramifications are substantial, considering that Johannesburg’s businesses contribute approximately 14.9% to the national GDP and 40% to Gauteng’s economy, employing about 2.13 million people.
Proposed Solutions
Dr. Dickson suggested that voluntary reduction in electricity consumption by companies and residences could alleviate the strain on the grid, minimizing disruptions.
- Measuring Consumption: “The first step should be measuring how much power is being consumed as well as when, where, and why. This information can then be used to build a plan that takes energy demand patterns into account.”
- Restructuring Operations: Companies can adjust their operations to change when they use the most power, potentially by restructuring processes to minimize peaks and dips in daily power usage and adjusting shift structures.
- Using Timers and Load Controllers: These tools can help schedule when loads turn on or off, reducing unnecessary electricity consumption, such as preventing air conditioners and hydro boils from running after business hours or limiting the duration household geysers are on.
Additional Measures
Further energy-saving measures could include installing natural lighting options, like light pipes, instead of electric lighting, and putting in draught doors to reduce heating and cooling costs. Load controllers combined with room occupancy sensors can also switch off electrical equipment in unoccupied offices or meeting rooms, ensuring power is only consumed when necessary.
By implementing these strategies, businesses and households can contribute to stabilizing the power grid and minimizing the disruptions caused by load reduction.
