Distributed-generation reduces reliance on a single energy source

According to ESI-Africa, the electrical power grid is under pressure as capacity continually increases, and the likelihood of cascading outages is increasingly likely. The solution may be the use of distributed-generation, says Trevor de Vries, MD of 3W Power/AEG Power Solutions, South Africa. "By distributing smaller generating capacity at multiple locations, the pitfalls of relying on a single remote source of power are greatly reduced."

Distributed generation, or the production of electricity from many small energy sources, provides lower environmental impacts and improved security of supply. With the advent of cost-effective solar installations as complementary energy generation sources, the concept of distributed generation is becoming increasingly viable because it reduces the amount of energy lost in transmitting electricity, as "the electricity is generated right where it is used, and any excess can be fed back into the grid. This provides a financial benefit as well as an environmental benefit," de Vries says.

Businesses face the high cost involved in powering air-conditioning, server rooms and computer systems. These alone constitute 60% of all power consumed, ESI-Africa says. According to de Vries, now businesses can make use of available space to install large scale industrial solar power plants. Thereafter, they can capture and use huge amounts of energy and also sell energy back into the main grid.

Read the full article on www.esi-africa.com.