EC_July_2016_lores_with

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Quarter 1 (January - March 2016)

Total print circulation: 4 716

The views expressed in this publication are

not necessarily those of the publisher, the

editor, SAAEs, SAEE, CESA, IESSA or the

Copper Development Association Africa

Electricity+Control is supported by:

he weather is cold, and load shedding has been

limited. But the real issue relates not so much to

Eskom’s capacity to service a substantially reduced

national load; but rather to the municipal sector to

distribute and deliver the power reliably. It is at the

distribution level that we face some of our most sig-

nificant challenges as a nation.To some extent, the

distribution network serves as a fuse in the national

grid. A cynic would argue that, were the distribution

networks in all cases adequately maintained, then

Eskom would not be able to supply the need.

Cynics would also point out that, in various munici-

pal areas, accounts are vastly in arears – and this

implies much-needed cash-flow to maintain the

system (including for paying users) is simply not

there. The consequence is an increasingly unreliable

distribution network. But we are not cynics and the

issue is an important one.

Recently, there have been a number of instances as-

cribing electricity outages to illegal (i.e. unplanned)

connections made to the distribution infrastructure

in various municipal areas.The net effect is that the

network becomes overloaded, and the protection

does its job and trips – effectively protecting the

system, but leaving legitimate users in darkness.

If this is true, then the issue is certainly serious and

needs urgent intervention. The consequences of

power outages are various – but frankly domestic

inconvenience is the least worrisome of them all.

Consider for a moment critical health facilities that

may well not have adequate back-up supplies;

flashing or ‘off’ traffic lights that clog up the roads

for hours; or an organisation that cannot operate.

These consequences have a significant impact on

the economy and on our society.Whereas it is easy

to understand the need for a family to have warmth

and the security of an electrical supply, the trouble

with this being realised outside of any level of plan-

ning is catastrophic.

There can be an argument that electricity supply

(even for heating) is actually essential in modern

built-up areas.There are many places with palls of

smoke on a winter’s morning making driving (let

alone breathing) difficult. Imagine living like that,

and the cost of that on the health of our population?

So electricity is important – and everyone should

have access to it. This draws into sharp focus the

capacity for certain demands, realised outside of the

formal process, to adversely affect the very econo-

my that is striving to improve the lives of everyone

in the nation. It is a wicked problem and it is evident

that without growth in the economy pretty much

everyone becomes less well off.Whereas I suspect

that those at the top of the pile would probably feel

little influence – it is those (the most vulnerable)

near the bottom of the pile that will be devastated.

For instance, the ability of the State to pay out social

grants – necessary to assist those most affected by

our past and our current situation – is fundamentally

dependent on the ability of the country to raise the

cash to do so. It is a concern that this contribution

has continued to rise – both because of the strain it

places on the central coffers, but equally because

it must surely speak to either a failure of policy or

practice as regards engagingmore andmore people

in the economy.

To be blunt – illegal activity that may benefit a few

but will jeopardise a far larger number – simply

cannot be tolerated. My deepest dismay is to see

how often society has been conditioned to turn a

blind eye to this type of thing. Frankly, to wait for

law-enforcers to detect nefarious activity and act on

it is almost insignificant if society does not step up

and assist. I wonder to what extent this is an issue

that can be turned around in the future.

What it requires, of course, is direction and

example-setting. Let it start with us. It is, after all,

at our level that attempts are being made to build

the economy.

We cannot allow that to be undermined.

Ian Jandrell

Pr Eng,

BSc (Eng) GDE PhD,

FSAIEE SMIEEE

COMMENT

July ‘16

Electricity+Control