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Smart gadgets like lights that sense when someone is in a room and aircons that switch off automatically are some of the high-end plans Joburg has up its sleeve to cut electricity consumption.
Solar geysers are to be installed in thousands of households across the city
EVEN though blackouts have eased and there is a relatively constant supply of electricity, the City is implementing initiatives to save power and - ultimately - the environment.
Its plans to retrofit council-owned buildings and its programme to roll out solar water heating systems to thousands of households across the city are advanced, with implementation expected to begin in the middle of the year.
Thabo Mahlatsi, the director of the energy sector in the City's infrastructure and services department, says most of the paperwork has been done with only a few touch-ups left before the City starts rolling out its energy saving programme.
"The City, together with the Clinton Foundation, will retrofit 164 buildings owned by the council with energy-saving equipment. We will be removing higher voltage bulbs and replacing them with energy efficient lighting. We will also look into placing step-lights that sense the presence of people and will switch on and off."
Air conditioners consume a lot of electricity, he says. The City will put in detectors that will automatically turn on the air conditioner when there are people in the building and turn it off when the building is empty.
There are also plans to put in double glazing in all office windows. This will help to retain heat in winter, and so cut down the need for heaters. But before this is done, a building audit will be done to determine what kinds of energy-saving methods will work best in particular buildings.
If these plans are implemented, the City will save 20 to 25 percent of its energy consumption, says Mahlatsi. There are big benefits. A power station works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It transmits electricity to a substation, which in turn supplies power to council-owned buildings.
"In these buildings we find a lot of people using highly energy inefficient equipment. This includes lights, geysers, lifts, fridges and kettles. If all this equipment is changed to energy efficient equipment, it will result in the power station using less coal, which will in turn generate less carbon emissions and less global warming."
Solar geysers
Besides retrofitting council buildings, the City will go on a massive drive to install solar water heaters in households around the city.
"It is widely acknowledged within the electricity distribution industry that one of the most efficient methods of reducing electricity consumption by customers is through the installation and use of renewable energy sources such as solar water heaters," says Mahlatsi.
If these solar water heaters are installed on a large scale, they can displace 420 megawatts of generation through coal at power stations, so cutting the release of carbon and other harmful gases into the atmosphere.
Mahlatsi says there are over a million houses in the City supplied by City Power and Eskom; of these, 400 000 get their energy through City Power.
"Within the 400 000 houses are both low and high income households. Most of the high income households have geysers while a few have geysers in low income areas. For those people who already have geysers, we can install solar panels, saving 30 percent of energy in the process."
But the low income households will not miss out on having hot water, according to Mahlatsi. "The low income houses will be fitted with solar water heaters as well."
The initial roll out of solar water heaters will be to 210 000 households all over the city. Depending on its success, over a million customers in the City will have solar water heaters by the time the project ends, he claims.
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