Eskom is asking consumers to delay starting up inverter and battery systems when electricity returns after load shedding to avoid a demand peak after every planned blackout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such peaks can destabilise the system and result in trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inverter and battery systems, installed in many households to supplement the limited power supply from Eskom, assist consumers by keeping on limited lights and appliances during load shedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At these high levels of load shedding it is already becoming a challenge to get batteries charged during limited hours of electricity supply, but Eskom lists delaying the start-up of these systems as something consumers can do to protect the country\u2019s electricity supply and reduce the stages of load shedding necessary to get through winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During Stage 6, which in recent weeks was a regular occurrence, consumers endure up to 10 hours a day without electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the picture does not look good for the coming winter months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During its State of the System briefing on Thursday (18 May) Eskom made it clear that the coming winter is going to be extremely difficult, with Stage 7 or 8 or load shedding daily unless it succeeds in limiting unplanned outages of its generation fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three units at its youngest power station, the 4 800MW Kusile Power Station near eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, are out of service following a chimney collapse. They are only expected to be back online by year end, and even then will not be running at full capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, the steam generator replacement to extend the life of Koeberg Unit 1 has been delayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is only expected to return to service in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The utility shared three different winter scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most optimistic will be if it can contain unplanned outages to 15 000 MW, but even then, Eskom expects up to Stage 5 load shedding almost every day in May, July and August and up to Stage 3 for 18 days in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, in recent weeks unplanned outages exceeded 19 000 MW on more than one occasion and on Sunday (21 May) was still 16 486 MW, according to Eskom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eskom notes that unplanned outages often vary by up to 4 000 MW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The utility expects daily Stage 6 load shedding during May, June, July and August if breakdowns increase to 16 500 MW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means Eskom is approaching winter when electricity demand is at its highest with about 3 000 MW less generation capacity than last year. But if the loss of generation capacity increases to 18 000 MW, consumers are expected to experience up to Stage 7 load shedding<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eskom has not yet intensified load shedding beyond Stage 6. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Eskom is asking consumers to delay starting up inverter and battery systems when electricity returns after load shedding to avoid a demand peak after every planned 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