Company hopes for rebate programme continuation

16th May 2014

By: Ilan Solomons

Creamer Media Staff Writer

  

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State-owned power utility Eskom’s standard offer rebate programme encouraged companies to implement energy reduction technologies and many local companies would benefit from it being reinstated, says local engineering, procurement and construction company and energy efficiency solutions provider ZRW Mechanika MD Dr Kamalludien Parker.

The standard offer rebate programme started in the 2011/12 financial year to complement the compact fluorescent light project, which facilitated the installation of about 60-million lamps on an exchange basis.

Eskom designed the standard offer and standard product programmes to financially reward companies for achieving energy savings.

Since its inception in October 2011, about 245 projects have been registered for the standard offer, realising demand savings of 118 MW and energy savings of 478.6 GWh.

More than 4 800 projects have been registered for the standard product programme, which started in January 2012, realising demand savings of 122.7 MW and energy savings of 555 GWh.

“The standard offer rebate programme was the right type of stimulus package that was needed in South Africa to encourage commercial, industrial and residential users to install energy efficient systems and adopt renewable solutions,” Parker states.

He adds that as ZRW performs turnkey energy solutions from audit to supply and installation of light-emitting diode (LED) products, the rebate programme greatly assisted the company in promoting local energy efficiency solutions.

ZRW was actively involved in Eskom’s standard offer rebate programme, which was suspended in September last year, owing to the utility not having sufficient resources to continue financing the programme.

In one of the projects under the standard offer rebate programme, ZRW was the project developer and technology provider for airline catering company Lufthansa LSG Sky Chefs’ facility in Jet Park, on the East Rand, in January 2012.

The project involved retrofitting Lufthansa LSG Sky Chefs production and warehousing facility with LED lighting systems, such as LED tube lights, LED down lights and LED flood lights.

“I believe the Lufthansa LSG Sky Chefs project was and remains one of the largest single-site retrofit projects undertaken locally in terms of size and product as ZRW installed about 2 500 LED luminaires during the course of the project,” says Parker.

He notes that the outcome in terms of performance, functionality, savings, aesthetics, health and safety surpassed the original projections and was subsequently adopted at all the new kitchens installed by LSG Sky Chefs.

Parker adds that the project was completed in three months, three months ahead of schedule and has contributed significantly to the sustainability plan of the company.

“Lufthansa LSG Sky Chefs saves about 15% a year on average on its electricity costs as a result of the retrofit. These types of electricity use savings could be achieved by other companies, should the programme be reinstated,” concludes Parker.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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