Power up your business, even during loadshedding

The ever-looming threat of the lights going out remains a reality for all South Africans. This could mean major losses in your business if you don’t have contingencies in place. Industrial Buyer caught up with Hire-It sales director Richard Fraser to shed light on the best alternative power solutions to use in your business.

Q: Please explain how each alternative power solution works and which is the best option for a small manufacturing operation?

A: There are a wide variety of backup options ranging from different types of generators, solar systems and backup inverter battery systems, in a number of different types and quality levels. This is why it can be difficult for end users to understand the different options and the pros and cons. The most important information is to understand the application. As a general rule, battery inverter systems are handy for backing up lights and computers for a home or office environment for a number of hours depending on the size. This is good for the office worker because it means business can carry on during load shedding, and with any luck the batteries will last until the power comes back up. Battery and solar systems are not the correct option for running machinery like a manufacturing operation. To backup a manufacturing operation, a Diesel backup generator will be best. This is mainly because batteries are not suited to running machinery or heat elements, they get used up too quickly.

Q: On average, how long can a generator run?

A: There are many different sizes of machine and fuel tanks, but most of our backup units, irrespective of the size, are designed to run for six to eight hours on close to a full load.

If the load on a machine is less, then the fuel consumption will be less, and therefore the run time can be higher. We recommend getting a jerry can or plastic petrol canister (available at most hardware stores), so that the machine can be filled up in the event of a very long outage.

This is one of the major advantages of a generator over a battery system, the run time is much longer, and machines can be filled up with fuel.

Also, in comparison to battery systems, diesel generators are far better suited to running machinery and mechanical applications. I must also mention as a matter of safety, never put petrol or diesel into a machine that is running, always switch it off when refuelling.

AKSA Generators

Q: What is the return on investment for alternative power?

A: There are three categories of alternative power:

• Solar Hybrid systems, which commonly involve businesses using a combination of any or all of Eskom power, solar power, battery power as well as a generator for when all of the former aren’t able to supply enough power. The initial outlay for these types of systems is high, but the theory is that the savings made on power usage will pay back in anywhere between 5 and 15 years. There is also currently a question mark over whether Eskom will allow users to add into the grid and even make money out of creating power, or get penalised for it. Solar hybrid systems are the greenest option for businesses and make sense for office backup or shops which have fairly modest power requirements compared to manufacturing and industry. In my opinion, Solar hybrid technology is not quite at the right level or price point to be viable for the majority of the market, it is quite expensive, and also batteries need to be replaced, which means more costs down the line. Lead Acid batteries have a life span of three to five years. The new Lithium Ion batteries have nearly double the life expectancy but are triple the price roughly speaking. However, I believe that in time as demand increases and pricing improves, the solar hybrid system will become more viable.

• Inverter Battery / UPS backup: This is a good option for small offices or homes that just want to run lights, computers and internet to keep production going during outages. Systems that can give two to four hours backup for a small office are fairly well priced. Things to bear in mind are that once the batteries run out, say for an extended blackout, then you are back in the dark. Also, batteries will need to be replaced in three to five years, so bear in mind further costs down the road. Other advantages of the battery inverter are that they are silent, unlike a generator option. Also, the power keeps going through the batteries continuously, so you don’t have the risk of surges or shut offs damaging electronic equipment like servers, computers etc.

Kohler diesel generator

• Generator backup: Depending on the application and power requirements, there are a number of generator backup options for businesses, offices, factories, homes, shops etc. Pricing starts from around R7 000 for a small petrol generator, up to the millions of Rands for large Industrial Diesel sets. If the application is a home or business, how important is the noise factor? Silent generators are significantly more expensive than noisier open sets. Also, do you require auto start, or are you happy that someone can switch on a generator manually? Again, the auto start sets are more expensive. Using Eskom power is always the cheapest option, but businesses need to ask if production downtime justifies the expense of a generator. We have supplied generators to a number of businesses that have decided it is indispensable, from dentists to industrial chroming plants, dialysis clinics, shoe factories, fast food chains, chicken farms, halal meat processing plants and more.

Q: What is the future of alternative power in South Africa?

A: In my opinion the problems of Eskom will take a number of years to resolve. Businesses need to look at the next three to five years and weigh up the cost of down time compared to an alternative power source.

Hire-It www.hire-it.co.za