Energy-efficient solutions will assist in saving the environment and on energy costs.
Prioritising energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is often seen as a ‘nice to have’ or ‘only
for big corporations’ and not applicable at home or in
small to medium-sized businesses because it is expensive
or unnecessary.
“It is this kind of thinking that delays the implementation
of efficient energy solutions across the board — from home
to skyscraper to factory,” explains Barry Bredenkamp,
general manager of energy efficiency for the South African
National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI).
“Load-shedding focused South Africans on the need to
monitor their electricity consumption and plan efficient
usage and it appears that some people have gone back
to the idea of ‘I’ll just pay’,” Bredenkamp added. He
mentioned worrying events regarding load-shedding
threats, rolling blackouts, and electricity price increases as
Eskom struggles to recover its losses.
According to Bredenkamp, South Africa relies on coal
for about 90% of its energy input, resulting in a large
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amount of carbon dioxide emissions. “This pollution,
concentrated around the power stations mainly in the
Mpumalanga area, is not caused by the power stations
alone but by all South Africans, as they are generating
the pollution through their excessive use of coal-based
energy.” He added that such emissions contributed to
climate change patterns in South Africa.
“Most appliances and machinery come with an
energy rating, from A (the most efficient) to G
(least efficient). There is a corresponding price
difference, but what both consumers and procurement
departments fail to take into account, is that the
energy saved over the life of the item will outweigh
the higher initial cost — it is about life cycle costs and
not just the initial purchase price.”
Bredenkamp stresses that it is time to consider mixed
energy resources at home and at work, as well as energy
efficiency and the implications it has on saving on the
budget and the planet. b
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