After several rolling blackouts last year, South Africans have had a rough start to 2023 with persistent load shedding. It’s a harsh reality to face, but it’s our reality and businesses especially must invest in long-term strategies to survive this energy crisis.
The government has approved a plan to reduce the effect that load shedding is having on small to medium enterprises, by allowing small to medium enterprises (SMEs), claim the full amount of purchases that are meant to help ease the effects of load shedding, such as UPS units, inverters or solar technology, from their Value Added Tax (VAT).
In a previous blog, we discussed the benefit of a power generator to mitigate damages and loss of profits for local businesses during power cuts. However, if your budget does not allow this, there are other options, which we will take a look at in this article.
Power Factor
One of the biggest problems that businesses are facing with load shedding is the damage to expensive equipment and appliances when the power returns in one big surge. Shop owners, restaurants and bakeries are suffering from the domino effects of broken fridges and deep freezers, losing major income in the process.
Energy Management Solutions can help reduce this damage with power factor correction, which is equipment that reduces unnecessary energy spikes. Motor-driven machinery and equipment, such as refrigerators and air-conditioning, can cause inductive load which leads to high peaks of electricity on maximum demand. This will be amplified when the power returns after load shedding, and if your equipment is not protected from the surges, there can be significant and costly damage.
Sustainable Energy Management
Another way to cope with load shedding in the long run is with sustainable energy management that will help you reduce energy consumption and maintain low levels over time. This makes a lot more sense than temporary solutions since load shedding is evidently here to stay for a very long time, and may even worsen in years to come.
By making just a few changes, your business can not only save energy consistently but also save on electricity bills now and in the future, so that those funds may be allocated towards purchasing a generator or installing solar panels.
So what exactly do we mean by energy management? A consulting agency like Energy Management Solutions will meticulously analyse your business operations and help you optimise your energy consumption in every way possible with no interference to your daily production or profit goals. Whether you are in the retail, commercial or industrial sector, we will conduct a full-site study, consult with key personnel, and provide comprehensive reports on how you can cut down on excess usage and maximise return on investment with energy-saving solutions.
We’ll only suggest changes and additions that make sense for your business, in keeping with your goals and your budget. The long-term effects will be increased productivity, energy efficiency, lower emissions, and better coping strategies when it comes to load shedding.
Let Energy Management Solutions guide you safely into the future with expert defence mechanisms against load shedding so your business can continue to prosper. Contact us to get started.