Tune in for real-time power updates

Eskom’s nationally televised Power Alerts are based on real-time information – a moment-by-moment picture of the electricity supply situation on the national power grid.Working 12-hour shifts in the control room of Eskom’s National Control Centre in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng Province, the engineers and technicians operate desks populated with big-screen terminals and computer keyboards. In front of them them is a video wall stretching several storeys high, with detailed data about the national electricity grid.

It is the task of these engineers and technicians to manage and balance the national power grid in terms of demand for electricity and supply, an all-day-all-night responsibility. The critical time of day, specifically in winter, is between 5pm and 9pm -- the period of peak demand for electricity in the country, especially the residential sector.

Up on the high video wall, row upon row of figures continuously change as supply and demand information is updated - the names of South Africa’s 27 power stations and the amount of power being fed into the national power grid by each are displayed on the left; on the right the power line map displays the frequency of electricity supply across the country as engineers try to keep the balance between supply and demand within the bandwidth around 50Hz (49.8 – 50.15 hertz).

It is a real-time big picture of South Africa’s electricity status at any given moment, a flickering digital landscape tracking the lifeblood of a nation and an economy.

The big question – whatever the minute or the hour – remains: “What MW (megawatt) of capacity is available?”

On the supply side of the equation is the sum of Eskom’s coal-fired fleet of power stations as well as Eskom’s open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) and pumped-storage stations. South Africa also receives supply from the Cahora Bassa dam and hydroelectric facility on the Zambezi River in western Mozambique. Contributions from independent power producers from renewable sources are also visible and adds to the available generation capacity. Also taken into consideration is the necessity of planned maintenance and unplanned losses due to any number of reasons including technical break-downs and bad weather.

With the engineers and technicians at the National Control Centre either focused on the big video wall or the terminals in front of them on their desks, the answer to “what MW (megawatt) of capacity is available?” is a moment-by-moment assessment of the state of the supply and demand of electricity in South Africa.

Real-time Power Alert system

It is these men and women who are the first to know whether and when load shedding needs to take place. It is also this team who informs the SABC, eTV and DStv about the colour of the Power Alert that needs to be televised to households sitting down for their evening meals on any given night. The green, orange or red alerts you see on your television screen show the real-time status of the electricity supply landscape. The easy-to-understand ‘switch-off’ messages show you exactly what to do the moment you see it.

All South Africans – both in their business and personal lives – are experiencing the effects of the constrained power situation in our country. As such the Power Alert system remains a critical tool in the hands of households across the country to help reduce the current electricity supply shortages by switching off lights and appliances not needed at any time day or night, but especially during the evening peak from 5pm to 9pm on weekdays.

Tips during load shedding

Equally importantly, Power Alert also remains a critical component of Eskom’s open and honest conversation with South Africa’s electricity consumers, one that not only points to the status of the national power grid but also shares tips on what to do to prepare for a power outage:

• Keep your cell phone fully charged when the power is on.
• Make sure your vehicle/s have fuel in the tank – some petrol stations cannot pump fuel during power outages.
• Ensure you have enough cash - ATMs cannot operate during power outages.
• Access, security and safety always remain a top priority –

-Release your automatic electric garage door mechanisms so that you can gain access to your property during a power outage.

-Switch your electric security gates to ‘’manual’’ to avoid being either locked out of or in your home.

• Keep a battery-powered torch in a place where it will be easy to find in the dark – make sure you have an extra set of fresh batteries.
• Keep a small torch on your bedside table at all times - make sure you have an extra set of new batteries.
• Invest in a small LP gas lamp for good quality lighting over a large area.
• Keep boiled water in thermos flasks for hot drinks during a power outage.
• Prepare meals beforehand in case of a power outage.
• Keep a stock of essential tinned foods and snacks that do not need refrigeration – preserved foods are easy alternatives when you were not able to prepare a meal beforehand.
• Invest in a small LP gas heating ring for essential cooking and to boil water for hot drinks - make sure you have an extra bottle of gas.

• Invest in a gas heater – remember: special care should be taken around the exposed flames of gas heaters and ventilation requirements should be adhered to.

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed at all times – a power outage of four hours should not cause food spoilage and a freezer should keep food frozen and safe for at least a day.
• Most medication that needs refrigeration can be kept in a closed fridge for several hours without spoiling – it is essential that you check with your doctor or pharmacist to be sure about your type of medication.

For more information and electricity savings tips in winter go to www.eskom/idm.co.za