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Sonjica opts for sun, paraffin
05/02/2008 21:07 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica denied on Tuesday that she advised people to go to bed early as a means of saving electricity.
"That speech didn't say 'Go to bed, go to bed, go to bed'," she said at a media briefing on the department's national response plan to the electricity crisis.
Sonjica was speaking in Johannesburg at the launch of the National Energy Efficiency Campaign.
She said people did not understand how Parliament worked and while she was making a speech (on energy-saving ideas) she was interrupted by heckling.
"Tony Leon (MP and former DA leader) said: 'Minister, what do you do after you go to bed?' and I said go to bed, you are stupid, you go to bed ... and you will become clever'.
"It is unfortunate that you have trivialised it... it has become international news."
Response plan
On January 30, Sonjica told MPs during a special joint parliamentary sitting to discuss the issue that perpetual power cuts could be avoided if South Africans used power more responsibly.
"Go to sleep earlier so that you can grow and be cleverer. Boil less water, use the microwave rather than stove, take a shower and not a shallow bath," she was reported to have said.
During Tuesday's briefing, she went through some points of the response plan.
The plan included the immediate implementation of a power rationing programme, restricting the sale of incandescent light bulbs, and a penalty and incentive scheme to conserve electricity.
Asked about the health concerns of using wood as an alternate energy source, she said she had not said this.
But it was pointed out by a reporter that this was one of the points listed on the "Energy Saving Tips" information sheet contained in the press pack.
However, the department was planning to reintroduce a door-to-door campaign to teach people how to burn wood for energy with less smoke.
Sonjica said her own energy-saving measures included having solar heating installed and she had a paraffin stove in her house.
According to the response plan, the risk of power cuts would remain high until at least 2013 if immediate action was not taken.
In 2001, 4.31% more energy was consumed than in 2006 and the growth in peak demand from 2006 to 2007 was 4.9%.
Electricity prices would need to increase substantially to fund the new capacity being built and electricity needed to be used more efficiently.
Planned maintenance reduced the amount of spare power available and reserves during planned maintenance were lower than required.
Plants being 'de-mothballed'
Running power stations "hard" also meant that equipment was highly stressed and resulted in the increase in blackouts and generator trips.
The plan noted that it was "crucial" that Eskom work with the department and begin acquiring higher-quality coal to enable generators to run at full capacity.
A power generation capacity expansion programme was underway, with plans for 1 155mW and 2 421mW to be added to the system in 2008 and 2009.
Plants were also being "de-mothballed", but the additional capacity would only come on-stream from 2012 onwards.
The key elements of the power conservation programme would be to achieve a savings target of 10% to 15% of electricity over time.
The large energy consumers could be required to reduce their consumption based on the following targets: industrial - 10%; commercial - 15%; hotels, resorts, shopping malls and conference centres - 20%; large office buildings, government, municipal and electricity utility offices - 15%; agriculture - 5%; and residential 10%.
For special cases, like hospitals, essential and security installations, no targets would be imposed.
A focus team would look at the requirements for 2010.
Penalties and cut offs were being explored and there also was a proposal that consumers could trade-in the unused portion of their quota allocation.
Regulations that enforced the incentives and penalties have already been drafted in terms of the Electricity Regulation Act.
The department also was considering a subsidy of between 20% to 30% for the installation of solar water heaters.
'Smart metering'
These energy-saving measures were to be included into building standards, as well as specifications on ceiling and geyser insulation and double glazing, and the housing department planned to "mandate" that all new houses were to be fitted with solar water heaters with a back-up electrical element.
"Smart metering" could allow consumers to connect and disconnect their electricity through the use of wireless technology.
All traffic lights and public lights would be converted to solar power with a battery backup - and there was also a plan to shut down motorway lighting.
- SAPA
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