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In a bold initiative that challenges the status quo of energy usage in Southern Africa, Danish Energy Management and DANIDA, together with the Ekurhuleni Metro, recently undertook a feasibility study to ascertain the appropriateness and viability of various potential interventions aimed at improving the energy efficiency of a number of community centres within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan region.
In August 2007, consultants from Danish Energy Management A/S (DEM) visited South Africa and conducted investigations at the Edenvale Civic Centre, the Germiston Civic Centre, and the East Gauteng Service Council. The information gathered for this study included interviews and a walk-through investigation at each of the centres. Subsequently, a decision was made to conduct a further, more detailed assessment.
It was found that the Edenvale Civic Centre (see photo) was most suitable for further investigation in terms of baseline data, energy performance, motivation, organisational readiness and energy-saving potential through energy management facilitated by energy-monitoring equipment. During this further assessment, interviews with key staff, inspections and specific data provided by electricity bills, drawings, energy audit reports, and other such secondary data were taken into consideration for extensive analysis. Based on the subsequent outcomes an appropriate energy management system was developed for the centre.
Outcomes of the Edenvale Civc Centre study were wholly optimistic, and envisaged an optimal (best-case) scenario of a savings potential of 545 000 kWh/year. Priced at 60 cents per kWh, this corresponds to saving some 327 000 Rands per year. A more modest default scenario puts the annual cost savings at close to 200 000 Rands per year- still a substantial saving.
The installation of the energy-monitoring system, together with implementation of energy management activities and a corresponding behavioural response from the building occupants, would under very conservative assumptions lead to a short payback time of capital expenditure. One can roughly gauge the overall potential of installing such systems by assuming that, nationwide, all customer care centres have characteristics similar to those of Edenvale. Assuming that there are approximately 300 Civic Centres (customers care centres) nationwide accumulated savings of some 100GWh annually could be realised. In addition, other public buildings could possibly undergo future retrofitting with similar savings expected.
Source: 25 degrees
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