Professor Raymond Parsons from North West University has called on government to look at implementing\u00a0daylight\u00a0savings to\u00a0alleviate Eskom\u2019s frail power position over the medium term.<\/p>\n
Daylight\u00a0savings time\u00a0is the practice of advancing clocks during the lighter months so that evenings have more apparent daylight, and mornings have less.<\/p>\n
The idea was mooted during Eskom’s original crisis in 2008, a time which saw mass load shedding, much to the frustration of business, and to the detriment of the economy.<\/p>\n
A proposal was made in\u00a0parliament\u00a0to divide the country into two time zones to spread peak times of electricity consumption.<\/p>\n
However, a study by\u00a0Eskom, in 2006\u00a0concluded\u00a0that there would be no significant impact on the energy consumption, either in the reduction on the peak demand or reduction on the base-load power, as a result of introduction of daylight saving.<\/p>\n
In an interview on SABC,\u00a0Parsons\u00a0said that while a number of potential long term solutions are already in the works to alleviate Eskom\u2019s power shortages, there is a gap in the medium term.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat can we do in the next year or two, to avoid these marginal\u00a0situations?\u00a0One of them is daylight saving,\u201d Parsons said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the country had used daylight savings in the second world war as part of an effort to save on coal to make the war effort succeed. \u201cIt worked quite well,\u201d Parsons said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have it (daylight savings) in Namibia, on our doorstep, so there are no geographical problems here\u201d Parsons noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts helpful at the peak times \u2013 even 1% being saved at peak hours, is going to help,\u201d the analyst stressed<\/p>\n
He said it would be worth trying for a period of three years, \u201cto help us get through this very difficult period”.<\/p>\n
Parsons urged the portfolio committee in parliament on energy to have a hearing on daylight savings and other steps to avoid the current weekend warnings \u00a0by Eskom and to fill the gap between now and new energy<\/p>\n
Parsons is professor in the faculty of economic and management sciences at North West University.<\/p>\n
Eskom declared a power emergency late last week, urging major industrial customers to reduce electricity consumption by at least 10%.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe power system is severely constrained today due to the loss of additional generating units from our power station fleet, reduced imports, and the extensive use of emergency reserves,\u201d Eskom said in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n
Eskom has also published load shedding schedules for its direct customers on its website, but has stressed that these are only \u201ca precautionary measure\u201d.<\/p>\n
In January, the power utility warned\u00a0that the threat of load-shedding may continue for the next two years, as it continues with an\u00a0intensive maintenance programme.<\/p>\n
Eskom lifts power emergency<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Eskom: power tight for 2 more years<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n