As per usual 2011 started with disgusting water being pumped to our homes and no electricity for a full working day? So as I hear more “diesel or petrol generators starting up” so that business can do business I began to wonder how many of those generators is justifiable by month end. Also do you get "green" generators?

Clearly our problems are not ending and companies have massif losses due to their inability to provide service. Now clearly heavy industry aside, how is the standard business coping with the lack of proper water, lack of electricity and power-outages?

I have seen some officer resorting to solar panels “sun panels” to maintain basic office functionality along with tablet and notebook computers and LED lights. Mobile phones are the norm with communications. Yet all of this cost money and it is a lot, you are looking to spend well over R30000 “give or take” for a basic solar solution. “And you hope it is a sunny day”

As we all know a generator is a bit cheaper to get but maintaining it for a 10 hour day can get expensive especially if you need 2 of them because most “cheep” generators cannot handle an office on its own.

I have seen 1 office running a generator and a solar solution at the same time and it seems that it is a good way to go if some of your equipment needs more power.

As an added question; what exactly can be considered a tax deductible when it comes to generators, solar solutions and low energy consumption office equipment aka "green" equipment?