As South Africa continues to face a shortage of energy production, there is one persistent element of the energy mix to be considered: energy waste. Addressing delegates at this year’s Enlit 2024 event held at the CTICC in Cape Town, Vladimir Milovanovic, vice president of Power Systems, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric noted that the cleanest energy is that which we are not wasting, or ideally not using, due to increased efficiency of our grid management systems.
In his talk on ‘Grids of the Future’, Milovanovic pointed out that if the country continues to waste energy, it will negate the strides made in reaching both its sustainability and energy availability goals. “Energy efficiency using less, spending less, and emitting less need to be key points of focus,” he noted.
“To ensure that we face these disruptions effectively, we must address aging infrastructure and upskill and support the workforce maintaining it. This is particularly important if one considers that most of the country’s population is not privileged enough to install alternative energy resources such as rooftop solar panels and will continue to rely on the grid. Enabling Distribution System Operators (DSOs) like municipalities to minimise technical losses, while enabling them to identify and reduce non-technical losses, will go a long way towards ensuring that they are able to continue to deliver services to the customers, while ensuring their revenue streams remain healthy and intact,” said Milovanovic.
Speaking on the rise of the country’s prosumer market, he noted that with the passing of the Electricity Regulation Amendment (ERA) Bill, DSOs will have to effectively accommodate prosumers who are both supplying and consuming energy.
Vladimir Milovanovic, vice president of Power Systems, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric.
“The passing of the bill is a significant development for South Africa. Already, loadshedding has compelled South Africans to become prosumers much sooner than expected. It is important that DSOs take this into account and enable consumers with surplus energy to sell it back the network.
“Furthermore, DSOs must have the capability to efficiently integrate this surplus energy, which forms part of distributed energy resources (DERs). Similarly, to consumers this means DSOs must implement equipment such as smart meters, connected devices, and remote terminal units (RTUs) in substations. This infrastructure, together with smart grid digital management systems, will provide DSOs with the flexibility to integrate the DERs and service their customers,” he explained.
“We must remember that despite the rise of prosumers, the country still depends on DSOs and their distribution infrastructure. DSOs need to remain in a position to maintain and expand their infrastructure to cater to a changing energy landscape,” he concluded.
How smart signalling can transform Africa’s manufacturing future Schneider Electric South Africa
Industrial Wireless
Imagine a factory floor where humans and machines communicate in real time with issues flagged instantly, workflows adjusted seamlessly and downtime reduced to near zero. This is the reality unfolding across Africa as manufacturers embrace the next generation of intelligent signalling technologies.
Read more...Unpacking the technoeconomic case for cleaner power in wastewater plants Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Behind every reliable wastewater plant is an electrical system exposed to the effects of harmonics, voltage distortion and overloaded networks caused by fleets of variable speed drives on pumps and aerators.Together, they steadily drive up maintenance demands and elevate the risk of failure.
Read more...Energy strategy as a competitive advantage for African businesses
Electrical Power & Protection
Energy is no longer simply something that businesses consume. When managed effectively, it becomes a controllable asset that supports resilience and efficiency and sets the foundation for long-term competitiveness.
Read more...World’s fastest 14 bit arbitrary waveform generator Vepac Electronics
Electrical Power & Protection
The ARB Rider AWG-700 from Vepac is the world’s fastest 14 bit arbitrary waveform generator, with a 20 GS/s real-time update rate and 14 bit vertical resolution.
Read more...Transformers for mining house in Botswana ACTOM Electrical Machines
Electrical Power & Protection
LH Marthinusen is completing the manufacture of two 30 MVA transformers for a mining house in Botswana.
Read more...Rethinking power for Africa’s data centres Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Africa’s digital economy is scaling faster than its power systems. If it wants resilient, competitive and sustainable data centres, the starting point must be a grid-to-chip architecture rather than a genset-first mentality.
Read more...The growing decentralisation of power grids
Electrical Power & Protection
The decentralisation of power generation is changing how national grids function. For electrical engineers, several new challenges and opportunities are on the horizon.
Read more...Custom mini substations for Zambian copper mine
Electrical Power & Protection
Recent orders to supply seventeen specially engineered mini substations for an underground copper mine in Zambia reinforces Trafo Power Solution’s track record in delivering customised electrical solutons for challenging environments.
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