The responsibility to cut back on electrical consumption, to initiate energy efficiencies and switch off non-essential appliances does not solely fall on the shoulders of households and domestic energy consumers. Industrial, commercial and agricultural establishments hold much power in the plight to conserve energy, apply energy efficiencies and reduce pressures on South Africa’s electrical grid.
Outside of infrastructure and upkeep, another significant reason why South Africa’s electricity supply is struggling to keep up with the current demand is as a result of careless wastage and commercial and industrial motor inefficiencies that don’t embrace variable speed drive options
Power Factor (PF) correction can be an effective way for industrial operations, commercial businesses and factories to best reduce their electrical demand.
By evaluating how effectively commercial electrical equipment converts electrical currents into efficient power output, corrective measures may be put in place to reduce the overall energy consumption.
Based on findings, Power Factor correction of high demand consumers such as factories and industrial plants are able to reduce the total current drawn from an electrical distribution network.
PF correction can also assist in making sure that electrical equipment effectively converts electrical currents supplied by the power utility, putting useful power to better use.
Another method that commercial plants can implement in support of industrial energy efficiency and the conservation of power is through VSD’s or variable speed drives.
Most factory machinery and industrial equipment are run by electric motors operating in 1 gear and at one standard speed. By replacing conventional motors with variable speed drives, together with Power Factor correction capacitors, Alpha Power Solutions can assist business owners to conserve energy and reduce electrical consumption and demand.
Alpha Power Solutions combine innovation, technology, expertise and superior quality offering tailor-made energy saving solutions across industrial and commercial plant operations.
Addressing the current power crisis that the country is currently facing is not isolated to reducing energy consumption and enforcing energy saving tactics. Attention should also be paid to discovering pioneering ways of generating new sources of energy.
Eskom has recently announced plans to increase capital expenditure to R324 million over the next 5 years to fund the construction of 3 new power plants as well as their intention to increase nuclear capacity through the construction of 6 new nuclear plants by 2030.
Focusing on increasing power reserves is 1 way to address current supply pressures but there are alternative methods to generating additional electricity sources that can contribute a healthy portion of energy in South Africa, namely:
- Solar power is a renewable electrical source free from pollutants. It has the ability to produce enough electricity to heat water, thermostats and power lighting and can also be converted into chemical energy creating bio mass, a renewable source of alternative fossil fuels.
- Wind Turbines are responsible for generating one of the fasted growing sources of electricity in the world.
- Hydroelectricity is a renewable source of power generated by flowing water that is a cost effective method to generating an alternative source of power.