Johannesburg - “Eskom will intensify its demand side management (DSM) interventions to manage electricity supply and demand,” said Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana.
Makwana said at the inaugural National Demand Management Indaba on Monday that DSM programmes enabled effective management of customers’ energy use to lower peak demand or total consumption during certain periods.
“The goal of the indaba was to provide a forum for diverse role-players to engage in robust constructive discussions and share international experiences and case studies on demand side management, energy efficiency, and demand response,” Makwana said.
“Collaborative proposals and solutions for reducing electricity demand and ensuring consistent electricity supply in the short, medium, and long term were presented and discussed at the event.
“In addition, Eskom unpacked the Demand Response and Distribution Demand Management Programmes, which were launched earlier this year, and the significance of each programme,” he said
“Effective DSM programme implementation could create a win-win situation by reducing pressure on the power system and enabling consumers to realise cost savings by being more energy conscious and reducing their consumption without affecting business productivity or quality of life.”
He went on to say that DSM was a worldwide phenomenon, with best-in-class countries already adopting technology to manage demand. A variety of policy approaches could be replicated in South Africa to encourage demand-side involvement, promote energy savings, and lower peak demand, he said.
“Eskom has made some progress in a variety of DSM initiatives, such as energy efficiency, demand response, distributed generation, and energy storage.”
He said Eskom had been pursuing energy conservation programmes and piloting energy-saving efforts such as converting from incandescent light bulbs (ICLs) to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
“The organisation continues to drive the ‘Use electricity sensibly’ campaign, which aims to equip South Africans with the knowledge they need to reduce electricity consumption during the evening peak period (5pm to 9pm).
“Some of our larger customers have benefited from our demand response programmes, which provide incentives for customers to reduce their energy consumption voluntarily during peak demand periods,” Makwana said.
“This is a mechanism used by Eskom to reduce the stages of load shedding or avoid load shedding where possible.”
According to Makwana, collaborative DSM programmes could be more effective.
“I'd like to recognise and thank our large customers who are taking part in Eskom's DSM initiatives,” he said.
“We'd like to encourage and invite all stakeholders to join us, from businesses and industries to residential customers. I also thank South Africans for responding to the call to use electricity wisely and efficiently in order to reduce the strain on the power grid.”
The Star