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Inside Education Reporter
While addressing the current challenges posed by load-shedding, the North-West University (NWU) is also looking at long-term sustainable and greener renewable energy-generation solutions.
This will not only ensure energy security, but also underscore the university’s commitment to just energy transition.
The NWU is already struggling to balance the utility budget with the added procurement of diesel for the emergency generators.
“This is why we are constantly looking at ways to reduce our usage and costs,” says Hendrik Esterhuizen, director of Engineering Compliance at the NWU’s Facilities department.
According to Esterhuizen, the NWU has continually used multiple energy-saving initiatives such as installing LED (light-emitting diode) lights in its buildings and the sophisticated Schneider Electric Power Monitoring Expert software systems to ensure effective energy management.
Other measures include new electrical and water main-ring reticulations to reduce municipal connections, and various meters for electricity, water and controllers respectively.
It is also anticipated that clean drinking water will become the next big challenge and will be very scarce by 2030.
The NWU is already looking at initiatives in this regard. Solar energy is one of the greener energy solutions that the NWU believes will save costs and reduce the profoundly negative impact of load-shedding.
The NWU’s latest project is the five-phase installation of solar photovoltaic electric generation facilities (PV plants) on all three of its campuses and the installation of solar systems at the three main libraries.
There are two other phases of decentralised solar plants with the following capacities:
Mahikeng Campus: 1 000 kWp
Potchefstroom Campus: 2 000 kWp
Vanderbijlpark Campus: 385 kWp
Project manager Willem Erasmus says each of these installations will be completed as individual projects. Two of the phases will take place on the Potchefstroom Campus and one specifically at the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds (K block area).
The other two phases will be at the Mahikeng Campus and the Vanderbijlpark Campus. These solar systems will operate while the campuses use normal power and when the emergency generators are used, providing a dual benefit in energy reduction.
“We are very excited about these installations and aim to have all the phases in their construction stages by March 2024.” He says the official starting date for the installations is 15 January, with full completion of all phases expected by April 2024.
“The importance of this project is that we are not only looking at relieving the ongoing and immediate energy supply challenges brought on by load-shedding. We also, and more importantly, want to address issues of environmental sustainability – especially in reducing the NWU’s carbon footprint,” says Ntokozo Kunene, chief director of Facilities.
INSIDE EDUCATION
