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Thread: And the lights go out again.

  1. #11
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
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    If you are looking for info about the load shedding schedules and the current load shedding schedule you can check out http://www.poweralert.co.za
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  2. #12
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    I see Cape Town isn't taking Eskom's 5-7 year plan lying down.
    The City of Cape Town says it has asked for a top-level meeting with Eskom over power cuts and their threat to new investments. The request comes in the wake of an announcement by the utility that South Africa faces another five to seven years of electricity failures.

    Mayoral committee member for economic development Simon Grindrod said on Thursday he has asked to meet Eskom chief executive Jacob Maroga to discuss the effects of blackouts and load shedding.

    Grindrod said he is concerned at the implications for economic growth and development in the wider Cape Town region.

    He said there is unprecedented interest in the city in terms of development and investment enquiries, but there is still no clarity on Eskom's ability to provide a stable electricity supply.

    "It is the number-one question asked by potential investors in terms of investing in the manufacturing and industrial sector," he said. "We need to be able to give them a straight answer. It is no good telling investors that normal service will be available in five to seven years.

    "The world moves on while we sit in the dark, losing investment and jobs to Asia and India."
    full story from M&G here

  3. #13
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    AAARRGHHHH! Bl**dy power shedding

    Sorry. Just had to let that rip.

    Feel slightly better now.

  4. #14
    Silver Member Graeme's Avatar
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    Shut down one aluminium smelter and the problrm is solved. The govt knew what was coming, and yet gave a clearance for yet another smelter.

  5. #15
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    It simply has to be bad planning. This whole "we did not anticipate x,y & z happening" is not an excuse, it's an admission of incompetence.

    I recall one time when the excuse was the coal was wet because of rain. How unexpected. Is rain such an unusual occurrence that it wasn't factored into the master management plan?

  6. #16
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
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    Did anyone see the quick interview with Eskom's CEO on eNews last night?
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  7. #17
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    I didn't, but my brother said Thabo was on TV saying "Don't blame Escom. It is the government's fault."

    Apparently, Escom did go to government in good time and say we were heading for a problem, and government ignored it because at the time Escom was still mothballing stations.

    I know this - I feel like I've had my dose of loadshedding this week.
    Monday 2-4 pm at my offices (Durban).
    Tuesday 10-12 am at a meeting (Pretoria).
    Wednesday (today) 2-4 pm at my offices (Durban) again.

    It's getting beyond a joke.
    Last edited by Dave A; 12-Dec-07 at 04:52 PM.

  8. #18
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Here's confirmation of the Mbeki apology, and a bit more besides.
    Constant power cuts are darkening the mood among South Africans, with President Thabo Mbeki admitting that the government was at fault for ignoring growing energy needs.

    Africa's largest economy is buckling under energy pressures after failing to heed pleas by state power utility Eskom to invest more in electricity generation to keep up with the country's growth.

    "We said not now, later. We were wrong. Eskom was right. We were wrong," Mbeki said in a rare public apology during a speech on Tuesday night.

    To some the power cuts are a mere annoyance while small businesses lose money and some -- like the owner of a popular South African ice-cream brand -- face financial disaster when energy giant Eskom tightens its straining energy belt.

    A booming post-apartheid economy, and scant regard for energy efficiency as South Africans lavishly squander electricity at the cheapest rates in the world, are some of the reasons Huberto Stempowski now has to find another way to chill his ice-cream.

    "It's a big worry. We are being forced to invest in a generator. That's a huge expense for the business," says the owner of popular Huberto's ice-cream.
    full story from M&G here

  9. #19
    Platinum Member Chatmaster's Avatar
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    Is there a practical way of running your entire household and office on solar power, anybody knows anything about the possibilities? I am seriously considering getting self sustained with electricity...
    Roelof Vermeulen (Entrepreneurship in large organizations)
    Roelof Vermeulen| Rock flaps south africa

  10. #20
    just me duncan drennan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chatmaster View Post
    Is there a practical way of running your entire household and office on solar power, anybody knows anything about the possibilities? I am seriously considering getting self sustained with electricity...
    You certainly can....but it is VERY expensive (and I still have some doubts as to the eco-friendliness of solar photovoltaic panels).

    A 200W panel costs about R9000. Desktop PC can be anywhere from 150-500W, laptops are usually under 90W (depending on what you have in it). You would probably also have to look at your lighting and what could work.

    Personally I would want at least 1kW for a small home office (2 computers)...and that is R45k worth of solar panels

    Oh yes, 200W panel is about 1.8m x 0.6m
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