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February 2015
Energy Efficiency, Green Building & IBTs
A smart grid facilitates the
efficient, intelligent use
of available energy and
can achieve significant
energy savings. This is of
course of tremendous
benefit to South Africa
which is experiencing
a dire energy crisis.
There are however
certain barriers to
implementing a
smart grid in the
country.
A
smart grid can be defined as an
evolved grid systemwhich has
been expanded through the
addition of intelligence that manages
electricity demand in a sustainable,
reliable and economic manner.
According to Jaco Cronje, Op-
erations Director for EES Africa. “The
smart grid allows the integrationof all
types of power generation, including
renewables. Smart grids are an inte-
gral part of smart cities.”
The grid was originally designed
for the supply of low-cost abun-
dant energy sourced far away from
where it was required by consumers.
Renewable energy eg. solar andwind,
then started to contribute to the grid.
This however did not make the grid a
smart grid but a gridwith some green
energy suppliers.
“Today a smart meter is used
to provide information and
enable customer con-
trol and knowledge of
energy usage. This
type of data allows
the energy con-
sumer to know
t he amoun t
of electricity
being used,
when it is used
and by which
a p p l i a n c e .
The smart grid
brings about a
whole new in-
dustry of technol-
ogy, intelligence
and efficiencies pre-
viously unknown,” says
Cronje.
This year, Johannesburg
City Power announced the roll out
of 55 000 smart meters. It should be
noted that the smart meter is only
one constituent, albeit a vital con-
stituent of the smart grid.
“In discussing the barriers to
implementing a smart grid, it is
important to note that we are not
building a smart grid or smart city
from the ground up in South Africa,”
says Cronje. “We have inherited cities
and a grid that we need tomorph into
the most sustainable solution.”
Smart cities, smart