As South Africa  is preparing for a broad roll-out of the country’s vaccine programme, energy efficiency is one of the  factors to consider, according to the South African National Energy Development Institute, (SANEDI).

Energy is crucial to operate cold chains that store vaccines. The Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccination against Covid-19 has a shelf life of up to 2 years if it is stored at -20°C. The J&J vaccination can also be safely stored in a domestic fridge for up to 1 month. The effectiveness of this, depends entirely on an uninterrupted supply of energy to maintain its low storage temperature requirements.

As such, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) highlights the vital importance of energy efficiency  in the current energy-constrained situation,  to support our country in the government’s effort to vaccinate South Africans against Covid-19.

SANEDI’s General Manager responsible for Energy Efficiency, Barry Bredenkamp says, “As the vaccine roll-out extends from the main urban centres to the more remote rural areas of the country,  it could become harder to sustain an unbroken cold chain in the broader logistical scheme-of-things. If there is an energy outage for whatever reason, freezers and fridges will lose temperature, potentially compromising the vaccine. Which is why we all need to do everything in our power to conserve energy and be as energy efficient as possible, during this trying time.”

Bredenkamp urges, “There are various ways South Africans can be mindful of their energy consumption.  Heating water is one of the most energy-intensive processes in the home and therefore one of the most expensive. Be sure to set your geyser temperature to 60 degrees. Also, when cooking on electric hobs, match the pan size to the element size, for example a 12cm pan on a 16cm burner will waste more than 40% of the heat. Remember to also insulate ceilings, doors and windows, wherever possible.”

He adds, “Co-incidentally, a recent research report indicates that domestic refrigeration is a major contributor to high energy consumption, which can be overcome by reducing the frequency of opening-and-closing the refrigerator, ensuring the doors are always properly closed and the door seals are in a good condition.”

Dr Ashok Sarkar, Senior Energy Specialist Team Leader at the World Bank, recently addressed a World Bank workshop series related to Vaccine Cold-chain Challenges. In his address, he pointed out, “It’s important to find a way to maintain and expand the cold chain for the vaccine in a climate-friendly manner. Maintaining a cold chain can cause environmental problems for two reasons: one, because it uses energy and if that energy comes from fossil-fired power stations, that contributes to global warming. Two, many of the refrigeration units in developing and even some developed  countries are not using refrigerants that have lower global warming potential even though options are available. As the vaccine cold chains are deployed at scale, the potential is enormous for integrating cost-effective energy efficient and solar refrigeration technologies, switching to cleaner refrigerants and adopting other sustainable measures, to achieve the same cooling effect.”

Bredenkamp concurs, “We believe that the successful roll-out of the vaccine in South Africa depends on reliable, sustainable and efficient energy throughout the value chain, which includes the warehousing, transport, end-destination storage and ultimately injecting the recipient with the vaccine. The same principles relating to the reduction of energy consumption in household refrigerators referred to above, apply to the use of these vaccine fridges and front-line medical staff should be made aware of this. The same applies to off-grid vaccine refrigerators in areas that do not have access to grid-connected electricity. Ultimately, the more we all play our part and save as much energy as possible, the more energy will be freed-up for use by more people in the country.”

South Africa began its first phase of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine rollout on 17 February 2021. According to studies*, the J&J vaccine provides 57% protection against moderate-to-severe Covid-19 disease, 85% protection against severe disease and 100% protection against death, as caused by the new Covid-19 501Y.V2 variant in South Africa.

“SANEDI encourages people across the country to show support for these specifications, especially NGOs and any industry bodies whose mandates are environment-centric. Public comment can be made in writing to the CEO of the NRCS until 30 April 2021. Show your support for a greener and cleaner South Africa,” concludes Mogosetsi.

Comment can be sent to Private Bag X 25, Brooklyn, 0075.

South Africans have until 30 April 2021 to comment on the recently gazetted specifications for general service lamps. The specifications aim to improve the safety, performance and energy efficiency of lightbulbs approved for use in South Africa by phasing out inefficient and environmentally harmful lighting products. If passed, lighting products which do not meet the specifications would be removed from the market.

“For example, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) currently on the market would not meet the specifications; it is more likely that LEDs would become the preferred choice of lamp. Although CFLs are often known as ‘energy saving’ lamps, they contain mercury which can be harmful to humans and to the environment,” explains Ashanti Mogosetsi, Project Manager: Appliance Standards and Labelling Programme at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI). “However, if CFLs make a technological advancement and meet these specifications in the future, then they could be legally sold. The purpose of the specifications is not to ban any particular lighting products, but to mandate their safety and performance standards.” SANEDI believes the gazetted regulations, if passed, would be a milestone in the journey towards a more environmentally sustainable country.

On 1 March 2021, on the recommendation of the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), the Department for Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) proposed compulsory specifications for Energy Efficiency and Functional Performance Requirements and Safety Requirements of general service lamps. Comment is invited for two months after the publication of these notices.

A necessary development

“Currently, South Africa makes wide use of old and outdated lighting technology, which is known to be far less energy efficient than modern lighting products such as LEDs. Further, these old lamps also contain elements which cause environmental degradation when discarded. Mercury is extremely harmful to the environment, and in turn harms the health of people living in those environments,” explains Mogosetsi. Mercury is the most concerning component of CFL bulbs. Everyone is exposed to some amount of mercury and high amounts of mercury can lead to long-term and sometimes permanent neurological and behavioural disorders.

In light of this, the UN Environment Programme created the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2013. “The convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The compulsory specifications show that South Africa is aligned to the goals of the UN and will hopefully have good news to share at UN Climate Change Conference – COP 26 due to be held in November this year,” says Mogosetsi. The COP 4 to the Minamata Convention will also be hosted in November 2021, where the Clean Lighting Coalition (CLiC) will submit votes to amend the exemption of lighting products containing mercury, now that alternatives without mercury exist.

An economic and environmental win-win

A cost-benefit analysis by Nova Economics on the proposed specifications show that while the environment is set to benefit from new regulations, South Africa’s economy is sure to see benefits, too.

The net economic benefit is expected to amount to R11,7 billion over 15-years; with a benefit-cost ratio of 27.4 to one. “This means that the present value of the benefits is more than 27 times the present value of the costs of introducing and enforcing the regulation,” explains Mogosetsi. “Electricity cost savings that accrue to South African households once the specifications are introduced, account for most of the R11,7 billion benefit realised.”

“SANEDI encourages people across the country to show support for these specifications, especially NGOs and any industry bodies whose mandates are environment-centric. Public comment can be made in writing to the CEO of the NRCS until 30 April 2021. Show your support for a greener and cleaner South Africa,” concludes Mogosetsi.

Comment can be sent to Private Bag X 25, Brooklyn, 0075.

With South Africa facing continually constrained energy supply, load shedding has become a normal part of life for many people. Daily routines are reworked to cater for power cuts, and backup cooking and lighting solutions are becoming increasingly popular. However, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) would like to remind South Africans that there are simple things we can do every day to reduce power consumption, take pressure off the grid, and ultimately help to mitigate the risk of load shedding.

“As we head into winter, we tend to use more power. Now is the time to start thinking carefully about how we use electricity,” says Barry Bredenkamp, General : Energy Efficiency & Corporate Communications for SANEDI. Being cautious of our consumer behaviour and implementing energy-efficient solutions are the main ways that power use can be minimised. Bredenkamp has five key tips for saving energy in your home, and it all relates to your appliance’s usage.

Rethink your lighting

While turning off lights when you leave a room is a great habit, what about changing the lights themselves? Newer lighting technology such as LEDs have proved to be vastly more energy efficient than older bulbs. “If thousands of South Africans updated their bulbs, the energy savings would be monumental,” says Bredenkamp.

Be cautious of how you cook

“Microwaves sometimes have a bad reputation, but in fact they cook food quickly and more efficiently than a traditional oven – especially if your oven is more than five years old. Consider using your microwave rather than your oven, whenever possible,” suggests Bredenkamp. In addition, he recommends using a gas stove if available. “Even better, bring out the braai!” he says.

Use your water appliances wisely

If you have a dishwasher, use it. Handwashing a 12-piece dinner service by hand requires 2.5 kWh of electricity and 103 litres of water. The same load in a dishwasher will use only 1.05 kWh of electricity and 12 litres of water, while taking a fraction of the time.

When it comes to washing of clothes, use a 40°C wash cycle rather than 60°C. “This offers a 30% electricity saving. Even better, you can save another 20% of power by skipping the pre-wash cycle,” says Barry. Furthermore, let clothes dry naturally rather than tumble drying.

Keep that fridge cold

“There’s a lot you can do to ensure your fridge is running optimally, and reduce your household energy consumption,” explains Bredenkamp. Importantly, the seals of fridges and freezers must work properly to ensure no warm air gets in and your appliance doesn’t have to work overtime to stay cool. Also remember to defrost your freezer regularly, as ice build-up prevents the freezer from operating efficiently and try limit opening-and-closing the fridge too often.

Think before you buy

“Home appliances are ever-improving, as manufacturers strive to play their part in reducing climate change. Added to that, minimum energy performance standards and associated labelling help consumers make better purchasing decisions. When purchasing new appliances, ensure that they carry the Energy Efficiency label, preferably rated with an A-rating. That’s not to say you must rush out and replace everything in your house – just keep the label in mind, next time you need to replace a household appliance,” concludes Bredenkamp.