Learn to be energy efficient in your home and business
In the light of load-shedding becoming a norm in the daily lives of home-owners and business people, the Ekurhuleni Business Initiative (EBI), together with the National Business Initiative (NBI), hosted an energy efficiency workshop, last Wednesday.
Private Sector Energy Efficiency is a programme of the NBI which works with small, medium and large businesses, to help reduce energy costs either for free, or through subsidised services.
The workshop, which took place at the Lakeview Hotel, in Farrarmere, was facilitated by Vijandren Naidoo, who gave business owners tips that can be used in the home as well as the business sector, to help them to be more energy efficient.
“Energy is an integral part of our daily lives, both at home and within our businesses,” explained Naidoo.
“When people understand that energy efficiency also has to become part of their daily lives, they can begin to see tangible results.”
He added that it is important to understand the difference between energy conservation and energy efficiency.
“Most people don’t know, but there is a difference between conserving energy and being energy efficient,” he said.
”Conservation would usually be applied when there is load-shedding and we switch off appliances in our homes and certain equipment in our businesses.
”This, in a business, would adversely affect production and subsequently sales and profit, while energy efficiency refers to technologies and behaviours that reduce the volume of energy consumed for the same outputs.”
Naidoo explained that when people are being energy efficient they use efficient methods to produce the same amount of electricity for their appliances and equipment, which has no effect on production.
He added that the key driver for energy efficiency for both businesses and homes is cost.
“Other key drivers are sustainability concerns, aging infrastructure and reputational value, especially for businesses. Government incentives and regulations as well as shareholder pressure also inform the decision to look at options of being energy efficient,” he said.
A good place to start, according to Naidoo, is with an energy audit which, he explained, is a detailed examination of energy use and costs that identifies and generates recommendations to reduce excessive use and high costs by implementing equipment, operational and behavioural changes.
An energy audit will assist in matching requirement to usage when it comes to energy and help with curbing wastage and high utility bills at the end of each month.
“To conduct an accurate energy audit, one should prioritise the areas in the home or business that need to be audited,” Naidoo explained.
”Look for equipment or appliances that use the most energy, also keeping in mind when they are in use.”
Once the energy wasters are indentified it makes it easier to implement the following energy efficiency methods:
n behavioural change: which is quick to implement, but not sustainable, as it requires ongoing awareness or it will be forgotten;
n operational change: which may not be as quick to implement, involves ensuring usage matches requirement;
n equipment change: involves the use of equipment (or appliances, in homes), which includes using energy efficient motors and lighting.
“What is important to remember with energy efficiency is that it has to be a collective effort and everyone has to play their part,” Naidoo said.
”Whether it is switching off an appliance which is not in use, or changing the type of light bulbs in use, it’s important to remember that it’s on each of us to contribute.”
