Say hallo to young energy players

A group of companies of young inspired South Africans determined to make a difference have entered the energy stage to help both industry and government - and soon homes too - save energy, money, carbon and water.

Towards the end of 2008 our country was gripped by load shedding and rolling blackouts. Eskom released public statements to explain that the country was in the throes of a peak demand crisis. We were experiencing a shortage in the supply of electricity, especially at peak times, which is still the case today. Businesses and homes were urged to reduce their consumption by at least 10% to ease the strain on the electrical grid. At the same time they began commissioning new coal fired power stations, the first of which coming online next year.

To finance these capital intensive endeavours, Eskom appealed to the National Energy Regulator (NERSA) to increase the unit price of electricity. The second of the 3 announcements is coming next month. South Africa still has relatively low energy prices on the world stage, however the increasing tariffs are negatively affecting businesses and homes.

Enter Eldo Energy to help alleviate the pressure on energy users through uniquely South African energy efficiency and effective resource management solutions.

Electrify, localise, decarbonise and optimise

We are excited to introduce you to Eldo, which is an acronym for:

• Electrification - they reduce the strain on our power grid and create green energy in rural & urban areas
• Localisation - they enable remote monitoring & control of our full energy usage from anywhere there is Internet access
• Decarbonisation - they reduce carbon emissions (CO2) into our atmosphere, aiding development towards a sustainable carbon-zero future
• Optimisation - they improve our energy efficiency, creating direct and indirect money and power savings

The problem they set out to solve is the fragile energy imbalance between demand and supply. Eldo operations are focused around optimising the energy flows from in front of and behind the electric meter and all the way up the value chain to Eskom National Control. This optimisation of these flows have tangible benefits, including decreasing electricity costs and providing the tools to effectively manage energy usage.

Each client’s specific needs are matched with the most suited energy technology available. This way you enjoy optimal energy savings, while your solution also adds to improved energy sustainability throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

What we like is that they look at the problem from all angles:

• What are the behavioural changes needed in consumption habits?
• Which technological interventions could be implemented to reduce consumption?

Know your consumption patterns

Straightforward behavioural changes can be brought about through Change Management programs. These programmes require access to accurate consumption data. Unfortunately in South Africa one cannot rely on the utility bill to provide accurate data. Hence behavioural changes are best effected after undergoing an energy audit that looks at all the energy systems. Attitudinal data also needs to be gathered from staff surveys. This soft intervention releases the lowest cost energy saving opportunities.

The hard interventions (voltage optimisation, power factor correction, lighting retrofits) deliver comprehensive energy savings, while at the same time optimising operational efficiencies. These technologies can only be recommended after an investment grade energy audit, where engineers will investigate specific energy systems looking to retrofit, replace or upgrade those systems in which opportunities are found.

Eldo is a solutions and interventions provider. Their interventions focus on power quality, power efficiency and the measurement thereof. The phrase ‘you cannot manage what you do not measure” is particularly poignant in this industry. To recommend a solution or intervention, you first need to know what the problem is and must be able to quantify it. That’s where energy audits and smart meters come in. Only once you start getting some insight into the inefficiencies of a particular site can you suggest cost effective solutions with an attractive return on investment.

To change you need to understand

But how are we going to pay for all these attractive technological interventions? To make energy efficiency easy, Eldo also offers financing solutions. They promote the use of smart meters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure. These solutions enable energy users to understand their daily, weekly and monthly energy consumption, which replaces reliance on municipal bills (which are often inaccurate) for budgeting and forecasting purposes.

Eldo’s product offering is a comprehensive & competitive portfolio of internationally tried & tested energy technologies allowing households, businesses, government and industry to achieve substantial energy savings. This will also help improve Eskom’s service delivery within the distribution grid.

New technology is typically installed at our main incoming supply or distribution board. It therefore targets the entire area of inefficiency in the site’s internal reticulation, rather than fixing the problem one lightbulb at a time. However, they also offer those solutions to their customers who want to go the ‘full mile.’

Solar, wind and other renewable energy sources are the future, whereas energy efficiency is the now - and the future. As renewables improve and become more cost effective, optimisation will remain a key requirement to avoid energy wastage.

The emerging energy sector will not only benefit big business and higher end residential energy users, but will also spur on economic growth and access to services and utilities in underprivileged areas.