Gauteng to host exhibition for electricity saving

17 Apr 2008

The Gauteng Department of Local Government will host a three-day Energy Efficiency Product and Information Exhibition as part of the national campaign to save electricity. The exhibition, scheduled to take place from 6 - 8 June 2008 at the Nasrec Expo Centre will bring together a range of products that households, business, institutions and general public can use in order to contribute to the national energy saving campaign.

“Our objective is that by the end of this year we will have an extensive energy efficiency network reaching out to every ward, resident, institution, businesses and non-government organisation,” said Gauteng Local Government MEC Qedani Mahlangu on Thursday.

The display is aimed at providing a platform for all services providers of energy efficient products such as solar powered roofing insulation system, energy saving light bulbs, ripple control geysers to geyser blankets to showcase and explain their products to the public.

She said the exhibition will bring together various sectors that will champion the massage of energy efficiency.

“We are also mobilising the participation of all public servants provincial and local government with specific focus on senior and facility managers and all other relevant stakeholders from all the wards in the province to champion energy efficiency,” the MEC said.

Mahlangu said the exhibition will incorporate four briefing sessions aimed at ensuring that Gauteng residents become active in energy efficiency campaigns with every sector of the province being organised to play a meaningful role.

It will later be followed by extensive sectoral engagements where each sector will come up with ways on how to respond to the electricity and broader energy crisis.

The MEC further said the coordinating structures for each sector will also be established to ensure to ensure that sector campaigns are organised in a sustained manner.

Gauteng will develop a mechanism that will assist in monitoring the impact of all the energy efficiency measures so that the full extent of all the interventions can be measured.

“I appeal to all service providers of energy efficiency products to make use of this unique opportunity to reach the widest spectrum of our society,” said MEC Mahlangu.

In March this year, Phillips South Africa announced plans to build manufacturing plant for energy-saving light bulb in Lesotho.

Philips SA and Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica announced the partnership which will see the country meet the growing need in energy efficient lighting solutions.

The plant is also expected to stimulate economic development.

The facility will be set up jointly with Central Energy Fund (CEF), a private company owned by government under the Department of Minerals and energy and Karebo Systems, a privately owned company specialising in Demand Side Management initiatives in the lighting and energy sectors.

Luc Escoute General Manager of Philips SA Lighting Sector earlier appealed to South Africans to use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) instead of energy-intensive incandescent bulbs.

"This new facility will enable our region to manufacture energy saving bulbs that will help to overcome energy shortages and combat global warming."

CEF Group Chief Executive Officer Mputumi Damane said this joint venture will help to secure a sufficient supply of these light bulbs to meet the country's ambitious targets in electricity reduction, especially in the residential sector.

For more information, visit: http://www.energex.co.za/

Article published courtesy of BuaNews