By George Senzere, solutions architect: secure power, Schneider Electric.
South Africa’s electric grid goes hand in hand with unpredictability and downright volatility at times. And as we are all too aware, a less reliable grid translates to more frequent blackouts, which directly impacts business and residential communities.
George Senzere.
It is hard to accomplish anything in the modern world without electricity. And with many organisations following a hybrid work model, backup power has become non-negotiable. To this end, backup power such as UPSs should therefore become part of electrical contractors’ proposals when tendering for a business project or working on a residential contract.
Adding a UPS to your quote is relatively straightforward and you can do the installation yourself. If you need assistance to plan and size the most suitable UPS for the job, you can work with a channel partner of a reputable UPS brand to select and propose the appropriate option. For larger facilities, Schneider Electric works hand in hand with its channel partners to ensure your UPS installation is done properly and to the highest standard.
Additionally, if a UPS is not requested in a project, you can recommend it as an additional value-add for your electrical upgrade or installation points. Here are some important points which should form part of your proposal:
• What are the short- and long-term financial impacts on the business if the power goes out?
• How would an outage impact the customer’s operations?
• Do life-safety risks increase when there is a power outage?
• What’s the downtime cost of a production machine?
By providing UPS technology, you can expand the scope of your services through long-term contracts that also include UPS servicing and remote monitoring. Most of Schneider Electric’s large and industrial UPS have data-capture and monitoring capabilities in order to optimise their health and performance.
Furthermore, you can deliver the monitoring services or sub-contract to a vendor, such as Schneider Electric, to monitor backup operations while you maintain contact with the customer. Essentially, as an electrical contractor, you could expand your services by moving into the managed service provider space and thereby increase your business margins.
Installation, as well as post-implementation monitoring and maintenance services, will keep you linked to the customer for the long term. You can use these services as a differentiator over other contractors, ensuring you can foster a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with your customer.
Ultimately, by proposing a backup solution such as UPS, you are showing initiative and forward-thinking in protecting your customer’s valuable assets and productivity environments.
Schneider Electric’s Five-Pillar Strategy takes the guesswork out of equip Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric’s Field Service Cycle, otherwise known as the Five-Pillar Strategy, is a structured approach to managing the lifecycle of equipment to prolong asset lifespan while reducing the total cost of ownership for customers.
Read more...Why utilities must prioritise maintenance of SA’s remote data Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
The story of power generation is more than meets the eye. Beyond energy distribution and the infrastructure are invisible, point of presence data centres located the remotest parts of our country that play a fundamental role in keeping systems running
Read more...The house that revolutionises substations WEG Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Traditional substations have major drawbacks in terms of their construction and resilience. One solution is the E-house, a prefabricated, customised and transportable steel structure designed to house a range of electrical and automation equipment.
Read more...Opinion piece: Digital twins in manufacturing – design, optimise and expand Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Digital twin technology can help create better products, fast. It can also transform the work of product development. This strong statement from McKinsey reinforces how far digital twins have come in manufacturing.
Read more...Localised inverter-integrated transformer
Electrical Power & Protection
ACTOM, South Africa’s largest manufacturer, repairer and distributor of electromechanical equipment, is launching a breakthrough in renewable energy integration with its localised inverter-integrated transform
Read more...ABB innovation for energy efficiency and sustainability
Electrical Power & Protection
The application of sensor technology to reduce the operational and standby power losses of traditional current and voltage transformers can lead to energy savings of 181 MWh over a 30-year period, the lifetime of a typical switchboard in the African environment.
Read more...UPS systems are key to keeping SA’s automotive industry up and running Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
During loadshedding, PLCs and OT systems often fail, not because they are directly tied to the factory’s core manufacturing process, but because they are now an integral part of IT infrastructure. When an IT system shuts down, the impact is far more complex than simply restarting machinery.
Read more...ACTOM advances energy infrastructure
Electrical Power & Protection
At this critical juncture where South Africa is poised to modernise its power infrastructure, ACTOM’s Engineering Projects and Contracts (EPC) Division showcased its capabilities for the first time at Enlit Africa 2025.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version