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Electrical Engineers gather to discuss Energy Management Systems

19th May 2014

  

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The eThekwini Municipality  (0.84 MB)

The eThekwini Municipality in partnership with the SA Institute for Electrical Engineers in KZN, the Illumination Engineering Society of South Africa , the Institute for Certified Mechanical and Electrical Engineers SA, the South African Association for Energy Efficiency brought together the experience of various industry experts to discuss the design and implementation of Energy Management Systems.

The workshop was held at the Unite Building on the UKZN Howard College campus on the 15th May. “It was initiated by SAIEE but was a combined initiative between the various institutions” said KZN Chairman of SAIEE, Veer Ramnarian. The key focus of the workshop was implementing and improving Energy Management Systems. “The objective of getting a multi-disciplinary audience of technical people together in addressing the common challenge of the country's energy situation was achieved” said Ramnarian. A leader in the energy field and a presenter on the day, Dave Mercer of Golder & Associates Africa said “With increasing global economic pressures, companies are looking to find new opportunities to lower operating costs whilst maintaining their productivity and EH&S commitments. Energy management can help meet that pressure through the monitoring, controlling, and conserving of energy at both a facility and corporate level”. He further explained the basic building blocks of a typical Energy Management System and where organisations tend to go wrong. His presentation discussed major drivers and barriers to implementation and also included simple yet effective self-assessment tools.

The event started off with Greg Diana presenting on the experiences of implementing an EMS for the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His talk highlighted the importance of procuring quality equipment and effective planning as poor planning leads to escalated costs down the line. Derek Morgan, Senior Manager of the eThekwini Energy Office outlined the plan that the Municipality has for implementing an Energy Management System. The Municipality owns 2500 infra-structure units that range from large buildings to very small washrooms and Derek’s presentation highlighted the complexity in developing an effective EMS for such a large and diverse organization such as the Municipality.

Colin Openshaw, IDM Manager for Eskom, presented the achievements and the lessons learnt from Eskom’s Integrated Demand Management programs. He explained that a new power generation capacity is being developed but construction of such large facilities requires time. On the supply side the key intervention is Eskom’s R300 billion investment and capacity expansion program. He said Eskom will continue to engage with NERSA to ensure a sustainable energy efficient market. Angel Modutwane, the Key Account Manager for the KZN region of the Private Sector Energy Efficiency Program (PSEE presented various support options available to industry through the PSEE). The PSEE program aims to improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial companies in South Africa through the provision of various services to assist companies in identifying and implementing energy saving measures. “The project has a target to provide support to a certain number of small, medium and large companies.

The level and nature of support to be provided will depend on the size of business and annual energy spend “said Modutwane.For further info on the program to go www.psee.org.za  .One of the highlights of the workshop was Karel Steyn’s presentation on Section 12-L of the Income tax Act, which has been implemented by the South African government to promote the efficient use of energy. His presentation laid out the process and methodology for determining the quantum of energy efficiency savings and requirements for claiming the proposed tax allowance. “The most significant requirement to take cognisance of is that a baseline for the savings should be set by an M&V Professional under the auspices of an M&V Body accredited by SANAS in accordance with SABS/SANS 50 010” said Karel Steyn. For further info on the 12-L tax incentive go to www.saee.org.za

The workshop was well attended by local government officials and industry. “The workshop was very interesting and informative, all the presentations done were by people who are professionals and stakeholders in the industry” said Mondli Mdimande, CEO of Langalibalele Energy. He also added that the presentations gave him a deeper insight into the challenges as well as solutions within the Energy Sector and made EMS simple to understand.

The eThekwini Municipality would like to thank all presenters and organisers who made the evening a success. For more information on the workshop and to download the presentations you can visit www.kznenergy.org.za

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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