INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
NEWS sources , such as the South African National Biodiversity Institute . It rates different areas based on their environmental sensitivity . For example , it would show if a site had high biodiversity or high potential for agricultural land and can also show restrictions by identifying protected areas .
Using the screening tool in the first step of the EIA process gives developers a " fair idea " of the environmental sensitivity of a site . The tool automatically generates a report for developers indicating the level of sensitivity on a particular site . This report can be submitted as part of the EIA application process . An environmental practitioner will then use the report to motivate which assessments are required based on the sensitivity of the area . This tool can be accessed by visiting the government website : screening . environment . gov . za
This intervention is said to speed up the environmental approval element for solar PV projects to within 60 days , whether or not they fall within the REDZ and , thereby , simplify the deployment of solar PV facilities . The DFFE explains that , although no public participation process will be applicable to these projects , as no environmental authorisation is required , notification of the registrations will be gazetted to enable access to the registration decisions and to facilitate the possibility to submit appeals should a person wish to do so for purposes of compliance monitoring .
Ultimately , if a solar PV project and its related infrastructure comply with this environmental management instrument , they can be excluded from requiring environmental authorisation . For those applications already with the DFFE , parties can elect to withdraw the application or let the process continue to run but these will be finalised in accordance with the EIA Regulations , the Renewable Energy Development Zone Notice , or the Strategic Transmission Corridor Notice . Parties are also requested to re-register the facility and infrastructure in the event there is a change of ownership of the solar PV which occurs prior to the construction and prior to completion , and the development of the facility is to be amended and would fall outside the verified buffer , which must be submitted within 30 days to the competent authority .
One of the key strategic actions that were endorsed by the Integrated Resource Plan , which was promulgated in March 2011 , is an increase in the allocation of Renewable Energy from 20GW to at least 30GW by 2030 . There is clearly an appetite to transition to cleaner energy and this is a clear path to South Africa achieving net zero and enabling green opportunities , provided the red tape is reduced which will see the rollouts of solar PV-related projects . Efforts are also underway to simplify the process for wind projects . CLA
Ageing refrigeration systems a significant challenge to SA businesses in 2023
In 2023 , the pressure will continue to mount for local food producers , cold storage facilities , and a myriad of other businesses that depend on cooling systems in their daily operations .
Cooling by far dominates operational costs in terms of energy consumption , an inescapable reality for most businesses . Considering that Eskom ’ s latest application to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa ( Nersa ) amounts to a 32 % price hike in 2023 , these businesses have good reason to prioritise efficient cooling systems . However , as systems age , operating at optimal efficiency becomes progressively more challenging .
This is according to Dawie Kriel , General Manager at EP Refrigeration – a division of Energy Partners and part of the PSG group of companies – who notes that the efficiency of complex cooling systems reduces by between 1 % and 4 % per year if not actively managed . “ The loss compounds in cooling systems that are between 10 and 20 years old , an age range commonly found in practice , and although businesses proactively maintain and manage their systems the loss of efficiency over this kind of timeline becomes very noticeable .”
He explains that there are indeed many factors that contribute to lost efficiency . “ Although the system ’ s age permits for more things to go wrong and for wear and tear to take its toll , the behaviour of service staff who are often only incentivised to maintain temperatures , can be the main culprits in efficiency losses . Changing loads or breakdowns often prompt unplanned changes to the system in an attempt to keep temperatures in check . This along with faulty components and poor sensor calibration can move the system away from its commissioned status . To make things worse , the coefficient of performance ( CoP ) is almost never measured , making improvements very difficult . Reliability also starts to suffer as the impact of poor control accelerates component failure .
By Eamonn Ryan
“ Poor reliability not only wastes energy , but increases product losses , which is an even bigger risk - both financially and to a business ’ ultimate reputation .”
Kriel adds that a surprising number of systems are also just inefficient from the day of their installation . “ Poor design and insufficient commissioning are difficult to fix afterwards . Good data-driven commissioning is essential for cooling systems to start on the right track , while regular re-commissioning is required to keep it there . It is clear from our own experience that this is something that we don ’ t often see when arriving on a site .” The reason is clear , it costs money , and it is difficult to understand the return on investment if efficiency cannot be measured and reported on .
Kriel comments that it is therefore little wonder why a service provider like EP Refrigeration can reduce a client ’ s energy usage by 20 % to 50 %, once brought in to manage and maintain a system using our CaaS model . “ One of the keys to drastically increasing efficiency is to measure CoP and introduce modern controls into an existing system . They are often quite complex , and require good data and training to utilise effectively , but they can produce great results .”
With that in mind Kriel argues that the best way to combat efficiency losses brought about by ageing cooling systems , is through cooling as a service ( CaaS ) contract . “ Our recommendation to clients is to allow a dedicated service provider who is incentivised for efficiency , to take responsibility for the operation and maintenance of their cooling system . This will produce the best long-term results , because sharing in the efficiency risk is for the experts . Even if a business wanted to keep the operation and maintenance of its refrigeration system in-house , specialist skills like these have become exceedingly scarce and expensive to employ full-time .”
According to Kriel , improving refrigeration infrastructure begins by adding tools to measure and
EP Refrigeration
Dawie Kriel , General Manager at EP Refrigeration .
communicate with the existing system . “ Once we know how the system performs , we can start with changes that cost little to nothing . Comprehensive maintenance may be needed to bring a system up to manufacturer ’ s specification . Only after that step is complete do we look at architecture and what can be changed to improve efficiency . From our experience , re-commissioning and maintenance recovery will add a minimum of 10 % to efficiency in cases where this has not been done regularly .”
From there , adding state-of-the-art components and changing parts of the system as needed , results in further cost reductions that improve a client ’ s energy consumption potentially by leaps and bounds . “ Keeping a business going in the modern economic environment is tough by any standard , and the ability to cut any operational cost by such large margins is incredibly important to a company ’ s continued survival . That is just one of the reasons why I have no doubt that CaaS is the way of the future . CLA
This intervention is said to speed up the environmental approval element for solar PV projects to within 60 days .
COLD LINK AFRICA • March / April 2023 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za 9