The electricity crisis in South Africa is hard felt at Arnhem when the elevators are off, and residents need to climb up to 14 flights of stairs. Apparently significant national generation power will come on-stream during the course of the next 3 years. The national generation problem however will most likely be with us for many more years into the future.
Reports indicate that current generation capacity will need to double in 10 years to meet future demand.
“More than 11 500 MW will be connected to the grid by 2025. Compare that to the current 4 000 to 6 000 MW deficit….. Of course, 1 MW of renewable power is not the same as 1 MW of base load..” – JP Landmand. Political commentator.
Load-Shedding - Days per Year
The Trustees have been investigation potential electricity solutions for Arnhem. The primary issue is the operation of the elevator. The size of Arnhem, the increased frequency of load-shedding and the broad age range of our residents, makes this issue require some urgent consideration.
We are investigating the following options:
- Inverter and Batteries.
- Grid Tied Solar, Inverter and Batteries.
- Diesel Generator.
The Trustees will put the various options and costs to the owners for discussion and a final decision. This will take place at the next AGM or at a special general meeting.
While there are many complex considerations in making a decision, environment impact, long-term sustainability of the solution, and cost are all key in our thinking. We will keep you posted.
