Mechanical Technology June 2015

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20 Mechanical Technology — June 2015
⎪ Sustainable energy and energy management ⎪
“The power supply situation
in South Africa is an issue
that needs to be addressed
as a matter of urgency. The
cost of unserved energy, in other words
the indirect cost of not supplying power
to those who need it, can and will have
a significant impact on growth and the
economy. There are also widespread con-
cerns relating to on-going electricity price
increases. The reality is that we need to
look at alternative sources to sustain the
supply of electricity. Independent studies
have shown that renewable energy has
the potential to achieve just this, and I am
excited to be a part of growing this emerg-
ing market in South Africa,” begins Smith.
With a degree in electrical engineer-
ing from the University of Stellenbosch,
as well as a Master’s degree in business
leadership from the University of South
Africa’s Graduate School of Business
Leadership, Smith has nearly 20 years
of experience with Eskom – including
electrification, system planning, network
development and transmission on the
engineering side – before moving into
telecommunications management and
development. In 2008 Smith joined
Broadband Infraco as chief executive
officer and saw the company through
to commercial launch, after which he
worked as an independent business
consultant before joining the Jasco team.
“The initial focus of Jasco Renewable
Energy will be on solar solutions at a
commercial level, including rooftop, car-
port and ground-based solutions. Solar
MechTech talks to Dave Smith (right), the newly appointed managing director
of Jasco Renewable Energy. With qualifications in electrical engineering and
business and more than 20 years of experience in utility power, network
development, transmission and telecoms, Smith brings an ability to balance
technology and financial sense to this challenging emerging sector.
A comparison of grid and solar PV energy prices for different Eskom price escalation scenarios. Smith
argues that the compound impact of utility price increases over the next 10 to 20 years makes grid-tied
solar PV solutions “very attractive in the long term”.
Jasco’s grid-tied solar PV project at its own premises, built to proof the concept to new customers.
Renewable energy: a business case
represents a significant investment for
businesses, and costs are reducing and
payback periods are down to within six
to eight years. We believe the technol-
ogy is now economically viable for South
African businesses.
Jasco Renewable Energy is targeting
systems in the 100 kW to 1.0 MW range,
commercial entities such as shopping
malls, hospitals, offices and property
groups with rental portfolios. “But the
upper end of this offering is only being
limited by licensing issues. Currently,
any system above 1.0 MW requires
an independent power producer (IPP)
license, which involves another level of
complexity,” he reveals.
“Jasco has a long standing energy
management and optimisation skills ca-
pability and, at the starting point of our
renewable energy offering we go into a
clients premises to monitor their energy
usage. Initially, we give advice on energy
efficiency interventions, such as efficient
lighting and heating. There is no sense
in installing a PV solar system in an
inefficient environment,” Smith advises.
The first stage of developing a PV