Desie Heita
4 September 2008
Windhoek — Namibia and the entire Southern Africa region must beef up energy efficiency if they intend to watch the 2010 World Cup spectacle with all lights on.
On top of the 'must-do' list is the review of regulatory frameworks, power tariffs, enforcement energy audits in all public buildings and regional energy utilities to stock up on sufficient coal reserves.
The instant demand alone could see a surge in electricity usage to as high as 10 percent during the entire soccer festivities, as soccer-loving fans reach out for a warm cup of tea and cold refreshing lagers in between the half times. Another contributing factor would be the supporters' base camps, which may represent a significant increase to the normal demand profile that may exceed the capacity of electrical network.
The Coordinator for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Institute at the Polytechnic of Namibia, Kudakwashe Ndhlukula, said time is running out, and the region must look at the example of other countries, such as the UK. The City of London has already produced a comprehensive environmental and sustainability strategy for the 2012 Olympics.
"Strategic decisions and implementation of the subsequent plans has to be prioritised by the relevant authorities. The 2010 Soccer World Cup is a valuable opportunity to showcase the region's environmental commitment by incorporating renewable energy systems in the games' residential and athletic developments," said Ndhlukula.
Ndhlukula said the current power deficit experienced by South Africa, which is the region's biggest generator and Namibia's main supplier, is a major threat to the steady and economic growth in the region and to the 2010 World Cup.
He said there is need for the review of the energy regulatory frameworks to capture energy efficiency, as well as to keep in sync the renewable energy and the power tariffs. Further, there is need for the enforcement of energy audits in all public buildings.
Organisations must be encouraged to develop and adopt environmental management and energy management policies.
"In order to keep the existing power stations running throughout the 2010 soccer fest, there is need to beef up strategic reserves of coal and oil.
However, energy efficiency is the least costly and the most sustainable option and its importance cannot be over-emphasised," said Ndhlukula.
He said most common surges in electricity demand are related to television events such as soaps or world cup football matches.
"During an advertisement break or at the end of a programme, the national control centre for power utilities gears up for an increase in demand when people turn on their kettles for a cup of tea, switch on the lights or reach for a drink from the fridge. For a short but dramatic period, this almost instant increase can be as high as 10 percent of existing demand," said Ndhlukula.
He, however, acknowledged that a number of initiatives are coming into play throughout the region. These include extensive refurbishment, de-mothballing, upgrading, grid interconnection and construction of peaking power plants. Further, the region is set to adopt a power conservation programme developed by ESKOM.
Yet, all these programmes have relatively short lead times compared to greenfield projects, said Ndhlukula.
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