Amid ongoing pressure on utilities to supply sufficient power to meet increasing demands for electricity, national provider of smart metering technology and power reseller Enermatics Energy says one question is paramount for businesses:  how much power is needed by the business to operate when load shedding occurs?

The answer to this question will determine which course of action a company will take to acquire and implement credible power supply alternatives says Dr Raj Naidoo, Director at Enermatics Energy.

The company says most businesses use power to maintain PABX, PCs, Internet connectivity, lights and aircons.

During load shedding, which is an ongoing reality for most businesses in South Africa today, several backup power solutions can be considered. These include petrol/diesel generators, solar PV and Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) for lighting and PCs.

However, in considering which alternative, cost and what is crucial for operation must be front-of-mind says Dr Naidoo.

“The cost of these alternatives will depend on how much power you use. If you look at your utility bill, you will be able to see your kVA usage. This kVA tells us how much power is needed to run our business. Once you know your kVA usage, you can get a cost of your solution,” he adds.
Power options

Enermatics Energy suggests that many businesses immediately look to generators as the most effective standby power generation solution. “But to carry the full power requirements can be quite costly,” Dr Naidoo continues.

If the business wants to take this option, Enermatics advises that the DB is rewired to have a ‘municipality’ DB and a ‘generator’ DB.  This will reduce kVA needs and result in a smaller and less costly generator.

“Generators still remain one of the cheapest standby options. A disadvantage is the need to maintain and refuel the generator. Generators typically cost between R1,500–2,000 per kVA. With the recent load shedding and demand for generators, this can be significantly higher. Generators are easily scalable for any industry/sector and have been used for many years,” says Dr Naidoo.

UPS making its mark

Enermatics also suggests that UPS-based solutions are gaining momentum due to advances in battery technologies. “These systems seamlessly transfer to battery power when mains power is lost or is unreliable and then seamlessly back to the mains power supply when it is restored. They use low cost standard high amperage 12 Volt batteries.

They have built-in chargers which start charging the batteries as soon as the mains power supply is restored and allow the batteries to be charged while using connected devices on mains power.”

One disadvantage of UPS is that the full office load will not be powered, only essential items such as PCs and lights. In addition, the cost of a UPS can be anything from R7,500 to R15,000 per kVA – depending on the quality of the product.

When it comes to solar power, the advantage is that prices have reduced drastically in the last few years. Dr Naidoo says solar PV is ideally suited to the power usage requirements of commercial customers that have shift operations. Cost is still an inhibitor to widespread adoption – with Solar PV ranging from R20,000-R30,000/kVA, depending on the supplier and the quality of the solution and requirements for power outside of solar production hours.

Enermatics Energy leadership advises companies to understand their power supply needs during a power outage and then seek professional service to design and implement an optimal solution.