69
November 2013
Focus on water and energy
Eskom
and the
agri-entrepreneur
ANDREW ETZINGER, SENIOR GENERAL MANAGER, INTEGRATED DEMAND
MANAGEMENT (IDM), ESKOM
Fully invested in the on-going development of the agricultural sector as
one of the most important contributors to the growth of the economy,
Eskom’s partnership with producers and agri-entrepreneurs is based
on the continual sharing of know-how regarding energy efficiency.
Apart from the fact that millions of South Africans are directly or indi-
rectly dependent on farming activities for their livelihoods, agriculture
and all its related industries are the foundation of our nation’s food
security and foreign currency generating food exports.
Eskom energy advisors are on standby to assist the sector with in-
formation and advice on how to optimise energy usage and, as a re-
sult, reduce operating costs as an important measure to bolster the
developmental health of agriculture in South Africa.
Balancing act
Farming in South Africa, as in the rest of the world, is faced with stead-
ily increasing costs on all fronts. Labour, infrastructure, equipment,
livestock, seed stock, transport and energy are becoming more and
more expensive, and the need to counterbalance this threat requires
new business strategies to improve bottom line earnings. This is espe-
cially important in the case of young, up-and-coming farmers and agri-
entrepreneurs who wish to exploit new opportunities in the sector.
Successful partnership
We are committed to engage with South Africa’s agri-businesses on
the topic of “energy efficiency”, and pursuing new insights on how to
contribute to reduce energy usage and cut energy costs in the agricul-
tural sector.
Eskom’s energy efficiency initiatives and energy savings programmes
in partnership with South Africa’s energy users, have been successful
in lowering the demand for electricity in all sectors of the economy,
including the agricultural sector – demand savings of 3 587 MW have
been realised since 2005.
To put it into context, this reduction saved South Africa an entire
power station.
In the past year alone – the 12-month period ending March 2013
– demand savings of 589 MW have been achieved, enough to save
South Africa one unit of a power station.
Agri-entrepreneurs and producers
Eskom energy advisors, in conjunction with energy services
companies (ESCos) and suppliers are on standby to help agri-entrepreneurs
and producers. Irrespective of whether they are established or up-and-com-
ing, they are assisted in adopting financially savvy energy usage habits and
make the switch from energy intensive technologies, systems and processes
to energy efficient solutions.
Meeting with them on their farms and business premises, Eskom energy
advisors are geared to:
Analyse the energy and resource efficiency of their electrical infra-
structure
Do energy audits of their farms and businesses
Give technical advice
Share information on the vast range of technologies, processes and
systems in the agricultural sector that can be replaced with energy
efficient, cost saving solutions – including irrigation systems, solar
water heating systems, heat pumps, energy efficient lighting systems,
heat recovery systems, micro-hydro systems, biogas plants, variable
speed drives and fans
Kromme Rivier, a third generation Western Cape poultry farm, is an exam-
ple of a company in the agricultural sector that optimised its energy usage
with support from Eskom in partnership with an energy services company
(ESCo).
Electricity smart chickens
Poultry farmer, Bryn Groenewald, cycles 130 000 broiler chickens in phases,
through eight 15 000 chick sheds. Like most producers in the area, Groene-
wald illuminated his broiler sheds the usual way; with 60 W incandescent
light bulbs, 32 per shed.
Energy services company, Benson LED, approached Kromme Rivier with the
advice that the farm considers switching to energy efficient lighting.
Groenewald agreed; the retrofit comprised replacing 256 x 60 W incandes-
cent globes with 6 W LEDs, and 2 x 125 W mercury vapour floodlights with
20 W LEDs.
The company achieved an impressive reduction in energy usage of
51 226 kWh and energy cost savings of R60 053 per annum – Kromme
Rivier now powers their broiler sheds by being electricity smart and finan-
cially savvy and contributes to bringing South Africa closer to being energy
efficient; one farm and one business at a time.
Less is more
Kromme Rivier is a prime example of the success of the partnership be-
tween Eskom and the agricultural sector in achieving less energy usage
and more cuts in operating costs. Our energy advisors will always strive to
contribute towards making agri-businesses’ electricity smart and ensuring
the agricultural sector remains a cost-friendly environment for producers
and agri-entrepreneurs.
Product information
