Alternative Power

The time has come when we all need to make provision of our own to retain some sense of normality. To do this you need to make some investments.

So what do we invest in?

Go solar

Solar power is the way to go.
This power system technology has changed so much for the better and it is worth contacting one of the experts out there and having a chat. Solar power used to be complicated but it needs not be so anymore. Yes, there are costs incurred, but you could become self-sufficient without the noise of a generator or the hassle of other devices to keep bits and pieces going.
Solar geysers, should you opt not to go the whole hog, could well become necessary in order to be able to have hot water in the house so that you can at least shower and bath in some comfort.
The modern solar geysers are, they say, definitely worth the investment anyway as they save you a wad of money on electricity bills. Speak to a reputable installer about this though, as there are some factors you need to take into consideration to get the best deal for yourself!

GAS STOVES / FREEZERS

Unless you like braaiing every day, invest in gas to keep a kettle on the boil and a stove on the go. Or invest in a gas braai as well, so that you don’t have to get a ‘normal’ braai started just to boil a kettle or fry some eggs! We should all now be in the habit of boiling a kettle once and storing the boiled water in a thermos flask anyway as that makes economic sense! The same goes for investing in a gas freezer, if you can. One that uses both electricity and gas when the power is off!

NOW FOR YOUR APPLIANCES

You want to keep a light, the TV, rechargeable torches and lights, your Wi-Fi router and your cellphones (the last two for as long as the towers have backup battery power) going and charged, so what do you do? Firstly, we should all have power packs for charging our media devices, but you might want something better. Consider getting an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) or inverter to provide a backup supply to the electrical system. UPS’s and inverters are effective because they take about the same time to switch from the main supply to a backup battery. Things to consider, though: a UPS provides a backup power supply for a very short duration, whereas an inverter supplies power for an extended period of time.

  • A generator directly produces 240 volts AC supply, at 50 hertz supply frequency, whereas inverters convert 12 volts DC power into 120 volts AC power.
  • A generator takes considerable time to start when there is a power outage. An inverter restores the power supply immediately.
  • Generators are noisy and produce smoke, which causes both noise and air pollution. Inverters are soundless and pollution free.
  • Generators require power sources like kerosene, diesel, natural gases or petroleum to run. Inverters work on rechargeable batteries.
  • Generators require anual effort to start up, whereas inverters start on their own as soon as there is a power cut.
  • A generator is used where there is a long power outage problem, whereas inverters are suitable for places where there is a short duration power outage (depending on how many batteries they have).
  • Generator requires storage of fuel, whereas inverters do not require fuel storage.
  • The engine of the generator requires maintenance at regular intervals. Inverters require almost no maintenance.
  • A generator requires a lot of space and is kept outside the home or office, whereas an inverter requires less space and is kept inside the home or office.
  • Generators are large and heavy as compared to inverters.
  • Generators vary greatly in their rated wattage from 500 to 50 000 watts or more, whereas inverters go up to 15 000 watts, depending on the user’s needs.
  • An inverter can be linked to another identical unit to double the power capacity if required, but in case of a generator, parallel operation is not possible.
  • Inverters are more expensive than generators.

The threat of load-shedding South Africa. Never have Eskom apps been as used as at present. Are we shedding? Aren’t we shedding? Part of the reason for the uncertainty is the suddenness with which load-shedding was implemented late last year. Fact is, we need to start making adjustments and provision for the times we are without electricity. We are here to help you.

Stages explained

There are several stages of load-shedding. These are implemented according to how much power Eskom needs to keep the national power supply grid limping along. South Africa’s generating capacity is 47 000MW which should be enough but, because of frequent breakdowns for whatever reason, the power utility is often in short supply.
In summer the system needs 30 000MW to keep the lights on. This increases to 35 000MW in winter. If it is short of megawatts Eskom starts with its juggling act of cutting power in blocks which affects the whole country – both
municipal and direct Eskom consumers – to try to make up for this shortfall. If Eskom does not do this the whole grid could collapse.

Stage 1

Stage 1 allows for up to 1000 MW of the national load to be shed, stage 2 allows for up to 2000 MW to be shed, stage 3 for 3000 MW, stage 4 for 4 000MW, stage MW, stage 4 for 4 000MW, stage 5 for 5 000MW, stage 6 for 6 000MW, stage 7 for 7 000MW and stage 8 for 8 000MW.

Stage 4

Stage 4 means you will be scheduled for load-shedding 12 times over a four-day period for two hours or 12 times over an eight-day period for four hours at a time. This depends on what load-shedding schedule your municipality is on. The frequency of load-shedding increases as stages increase. Usually load- shedding is in two to four-hour blocks. An extra half an hour is factored in for the switching of networks so as to avoid damage to the system. In smaller municipalities technicians have to drive to the sub-stations to switch on and off manually.

Stage 6

Stage 6 doubles the frequency of stage 3 and, according to Eskom, this means load-shedding will be scheduled over four-day periods for four hours at a time. Should Eskom escalate load-shedding to stage 8, SA residents will be without power up to six times a day or for 12 hours, depending on the day’s schedule. This stage will shed 8,000MW from the grid.

Stage 8

Stage 8 doubles the frequency of stage 4. Basically, the higher the load-shedding stage, the more frequently you will experience load-shedding. Worst case scenario is 12 hours out of 24! So, for stage 8 load-shedding, consumers would be without power for 48 hours over four days, or 96 hours in eight days – or half the time.

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