https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

Energy efficiency should precede renewable energy

MARKET LEADER
Toyota is the largest vehicle manufacturer in South Africa and a full affiliate of the Toyota Motor Corporation

MARKET LEADER Toyota is the largest vehicle manufacturer in South Africa and a full affiliate of the Toyota Motor Corporation

Photo by Duane Daws

12th December 2014

  

Font size: - +

Since 2011, the Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Project, established in 2010 in response to the growing need to improve the energy efficiency of South Africa, has saved enough energy to electrify 75 000 South African middle-income homes for 12 months, says National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA) technical manager Hemant Grover.

The carbon emission avoidance through these savings, about 570 GWh of energy, is estimated at 568 000 t of carbon dioxide (CO2).

The NCPC-SA, in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, implements the IEE Project.

Grover says that energy efficiency efforts should precede any renewable energy activities, whether nationally, commercially or at home.

He adds that by implementing an energy management system or even ad-hoc energy efficiency initiatives, it ensures that the system runs in an efficient manner.

Energy efficiency is an accepted precursor to the implementation of renewables.

In October, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its second yearly ‘Energy Efficiency Market Report 2014’ confirming energy efficiency’s place as the world’s “first fuel”.

The report states that the global savings from energy efficiency are greater than the output from any other single fuel source – including coal, oil, nuclear and gas, making it the world’s first fuel.

A related report released by IEA in September, ‘Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency’, focused on its benefits beyond just reducing energy use and emissions, including overall sustainability, economic and social development, and increasing prosperity.

Some leading South African companies have realised impressive energy savings through the energy efficiency interventions of the IEE Project, says Grover.

Despite having been opened less than five years ago, the King Shaka International Airport in Durban reported electricity savings of 1.9 GWh, valued at R2.7-million. Grover explains that this was achieved mostly on lighting and air-conditioning systems.

Further, he notes that the savings were realised with an investment of only R400 000, which resulted in a payback period of less than 2 months.

Automobile manufacturer Toyota South Africa is another encouraging example and, in November, was awarded the Energy Company of the Year Award at the ninth yearly South African Energy Efficiency Convention – the first company to receive the award two years in a row.

Toyota is the largest vehicle manufacturer in South Africa and a full affiliate of the Toyota Motor Corporation.

Toyota environmental engineering and compliance senior manager Arden Wessels says has led an energy team since 2010, implementing a total of 103 energy efficiency projects in the Durban plant.

“Globally, the company is driven by aggressive environmental targets to reduce energy and water usage, vehicle emissions and waste,” adds Wessels.

He explains that Toyota is fully committed to cost reduction initiatives through more efficient use of energy and water and constantly creates awareness among employees and suppliers of the benefits of energy management.

In 2010, Toyota South Africa was one of the most energy inefficient plants in the Toyota group.

Currently, after energy savings valued at R32-million and with a carbon saving of about 34 000 t of carbon dioxide, the plant has reduced its energy demand per vehicle produced by 38% to become one of the top three Toyota plants internationally in terms of energy efficiency.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

Comments

Showroom

Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Magni SA
Magni SA

Magni SA is committed to developing the safest Telehandlers available to our customers for underground and surface mining, construction, forestry,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.08 0.132s - 158pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now