ENERGY EFFICIENCY:

“Reducing Electrical
Energy consumption
AT ALL COST”
WHY ??????
6 September 2012

Prof Wilhelm Leuschner Pr Eng D Eng

DEPT. OF ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONIC &

COMPUTER ENG.
1
LIGHT & VISION LABORATORY
 OUTLINE
• ELECTRICAL ENERGY – “BAD NAME”

• SUSTAINABLE OR COST EFFECTIVE ENERGY SAVING

WHY DOES ENERGY SAVING NOT HAPPEN
SPONTANEOUSLY & HAS TO BE “FORCED” ?

• SHOULD WE INVEST IN ELECTRICAL ENERGY /

POWER REDUCTION, OR IN RENEWABLE ENERGY /
POWER GENERATION?

• ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING

• PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER / ENERGY –

PHOTOVOLTAIC GEYSERS?

• ELECTRIC / BATTERY VEHICLES (busses, trucks, cars,

etc.)

• CONCLUSION 2
ELECTRICAL ENERGY – “BAD NAME”
“ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION IS HIGH. SWITCH OF UN-USED
LIGHTS, GEYSER ANS SWIMMING POOL PUMPS”

“SWITCH OFF AND UN-PLUG” – and save a few milliwatts?

PERCEPTION CREATED: “DON’T USE ELECTRICITY - IT IS BAD”

“ELECTRICITY”? ARE WE TALKING ELECTRICAL POWER OR

ENERGY?

POWER: BECAUSE IT IS PEAK TIME AND ESKOM HAS INSUFFICIENT

GENERATING CAPACITY

CONSUMERS ARE INCONVENIENCED AND USE THE SAME ENERGY

LATER AT NIGHT, WHILE THEY PAY THE SAME ENERGY TARIFF
R1.50 / kWh (or more) What does ESKOM and the Municipalities do
with the extra profit (as they pay less later at night) ????

3
ELECTRICAL ENERGY – “BAD NAME”

WHAT ABOUT OTHER FORMS OF ENERGY – CARS?

DOES ANYBODY TELL US TO DRIVE SLOWER TO SAVE ENERGY?

(a reduction of 1 l / 100 km in fuel consumption can save 5000W or
more) + air pollution

HOW DO WE PROMOTE BATTERY VEHICLES (Charged from

photovoltaic panels) IF WE WANT TO REDUCE ELECTRICAL
CONSUMPTION AT ALL COST

TURNOVER DROPS, PROFIT DROPS, DOWN-SCALING, INCREASED

ELECTRICITY PRICE, MORE GOVERNMENT SUSIDIES (HIGHER
TAXES)

4
 SUSTAINABLE OR COST EFFECTIVE
ENERGY SAVING
CONSUMERS WILL INVEST IN ENERGY SAVING IF THEY ARE
CONVINCED THEY GOING TO SAVE MONEY!
MOST ENERGY SAVING SYSTEMS ARE EXPENSIVE:
1.WE HAVE TO CONVINCE THE CONSUMER THAT SHE / HE
WILL SAVE MONEY - IMMEDIATELY OR OVER A PERIOD OF
TIME (REASONABLE PAY-BACK PERIOD?)
2.WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SUBSIDIES
3.WE HAVE TO HAND-OUT FREE GEYSER BLANKETS, CFL’S,
LED LAMPS etc.
2. AND 3. ARE VERY EXPENSIVE MOTIVATIONAL TOOLS – WHO
PAYS EVENTUALLY?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE “HAND-OUTS” OR “SUSIDIZED
EQUIPMENT” FAIL?
WHO BENEFITS MOST FROM 2. & 3. AND WHO PAYS FOR IT
AND WHO MISSES OUT?
DO WE KNOW WHETHER ACTUALLY SAVED ENERGY AND 5
HOW MUCH?
SHOULD WE INVEST IN ELECTRICAL ENERGY /
POWER REDUCTION, OR IN RENEWABLE
ENERGY / POWER GENERATION?

ELECTRICAL POWER & ENERGY IS ONE OF THE MOST

CONVENIENT AND EFFECTIVE FORMS OF ENERGY

WE SHOULD LEARN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

WE SHOULD PROMOTE ELECTRICAL USE v. OTHER FORMS OF

ENERGY – COAL, GASOLINE, etc.

ONCE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED HIGH CAPACITY OF RENEWABLE

“POWER STATIONS” – WE ARE GOING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
TO USE MORE ELECTRICITY TO REDUCE THE PER UNIT COST
(e.g. charging batteries of Electric Vehicles – cars, busses, trucks,
etc.)

EXTRA POWER GENERATION IS GURANTEED TO WORK-

MOST ENERGY SAVING TECHNOLOGIES ARE NOT GUARANTEED
TO BE SUCCESSFUL 6
ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING
IS THE UPGRADING OF LIGHTING TO MORE “ENERGY
EFFICIENT” LIGHT SOURCES A SUCCESS?
SOMETIMES YES

IS IT COST EFFECTIVE WITHOUT REDUCING THE

QUANTITY & QUALITY OF LIGHT?
SELDOM: IF IT WAS, WHY DON’T MORE CONSUMERS BUY SUCH
LAMPS, WITHOUT BEING DISAPPOINTED? THEY DO IT TO REDUCE
THEIR ELECTRICITY BILL

HAS IT GOT GREAT POTENTIAL?

YES – LED IS THE LIGHT SOURCE OF THE FUTURE – WITH GREAT
COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL FOR RETROFIT AND “SMART LIGHTING”
especially when it reaches > 200 lumen / Watt

SUCCESS EXAMPLE OF STIMULATING MANUFACTURING AND

MARKETING OF LED RETROFIT LAMPS:
USA – DOE: L-PRIZE PAR38 LED RETROFIT LAMP COMPETITION
(ROUND 2: FIRST PRIZE $5M – made in USA by Americans) 7
PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) POWER / ENERGY –
PHOTOVOLTAIC GEYSERS?
TECHNOLOGY IS RELIABLE & WELL DEVELOPED
PRICE IS DROPPING ON LARGE QUANTITIES (< R15 / W)
HIGH SOLAR IRRADIANCE IN MOST OF RSA
SIMPLE TO INSTALL
DIVERSE APPLICATIONS: CONSUMERS CAN GO “OFF-GRID”
EXTENDABLE
GOOD BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
CAN BE MANUFACTURED LOCALLY
CONSUMERS CAN SELL BACK ENERGY
PHOTOVOLTAIC GEYSER?
INTERESTING RESEARCH: SIMPLE INSTALLATION FOR MULTIPLE
EXISTING GEYSERS FROM ONE PV PANEL ANYWHERE ON THE
PROPERTY OR ROOF.
SURPLUS ENERGY CAN BE SOLD TO UTILITY, CHARGE UPS, HEAT
SWIMMING POOL etc.
8
MOST ENERGY REQUIRED IN WINTER
ELECTRIC / BATTERY VEHICLES (busses,
trucks, cars, etc.)
THE TECHNOLOGY FOR NOW AND THE FUTURE:
ENERGY SAVING, ENERGY STORE, NO POLLUTION (GAS /
NOISE), RELIABILE, SIMPLE TO USE AND MAINTAIN

SUPPORTS ENERGY SAVING

MANY NICHE MARKETS

DID “ENERGY REDUCTION AT ALL COST” SINK THE

BATTERY CAR IN SOUTH AFRICA?

9
 CONCLUSION
COST EFFECTIVE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY, WITHOUT
REDUCING QUALTY
RESEARCH, DESIGN, DEVELOP, INTRODUCE,
MAINTAIN, QUANTIFY / EVALUATE

THANKS
WILHELM LEUSCHNER leuschner@up.ac.za 10