Tag: power supply

Electric Vehicles (EVs) have become somewhat commonplace in numerous countries. With its own, bona fide racing events such as Formula E and Extreme E, it’s safe to say the green technology has cemented its role in the automotive industry.

Property technology (commonly known as proptech) is on the rise globally. The escalating significance of proptech within the industry is underscored by its staggering projected market value - poised to reach $86.5 billion by 2032.

Eskom cannot be trusted with load-limiting, as the same kind of centralisation is what caused the energy crisis in the first place. We will publish a research paper on privatisation later this year, that will set out how best to go about the privatisation of Eskom. This comes as the embattled state-owned enterprise seems to be fumbling from one bad idea to the next as it tries to stabilise power supply.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) play a vital role in promoting economic growth, attracting investments and driving industrialisation in Africa. As the world embraces rapid technological advancements, it is crucial for SEZs and IDZs to adapt and adopt technological change to remain competitive and foster sustainable development.

As South Africans prepare themselves for higher stages of load shedding in the coming colder months there remains a growing concern around the possibility of a total grid failure. A grid failure is described as a total or partial interruption or suspension of electrical power supply from the national, regional, municipal or private grid supplier resulting in widespread power outages.

Load shedding – a measure implemented by Eskom to address mounting pressures on the national electricity grid, has been a South African reality since 2007. The past few years have, however, seen a dramatic upsurge in the severity of scheduled blackouts as Eskom attempts to deal with multiple infrastructural problems as well as theft and vandalism.

As South Africa’s electricity crisis worsens, accompanied by increased interest rates, food and petrol prices, the country's potential to enter a recession rises exponentially. As most economists have noted, South Africa presently falls short on both micro and macroeconomic benchmarks, from exports and imports to infrastructure development and ballooning interest rates.

The data centre sector’s proven record of dealing with massive demand growth can be applied to wider sustainability challenges. An important principle in the development of IT over the decades has been Moore’s Law. Simply put, it predicted that transistor density in processors would double every two years as development progresses.  

Despite the country falling into recession, coupled with a dim economic outlook, it is not all doom and gloom for small businesses. For many small businesses the outlook for the year ahead seems bleak due to a lower forecast for economic growth globally, challenging local trading conditions owing to inconsistent power supply, currency volatility and rising operating costs, amongst several factors. However, opportunities still exist for SMEs who are agile. 

As Eskom carries out critical maintenance on its failing units, South African landlords and facilities managers have to implement measures of their own to ensure energy security for their properties. There certainly appears to be no foreseeable end to the current load shedding, and facilities managers now have to factor in rolling blackouts as part of the daily management equation.