The Paradox of #Loadshedding (aka Power Cuts)
For those of you who haven’t spent a good chunk of time in Southern Africa, widespread electricity restrictions (loadshedding) coexist with a growing number of households employing battery storage systems with #inverters. This is the case in my office and house in #Zambia and #SouthAfrica. Sounds nuts to the western world (and even to #Namibia, where load shedding never happens), but I got used to it as we expand our business in the region.
We literally invest in a bunch of machines with chunky batteries that are connected to power outlets.
When there’s #electricity, we charge the #batteries, and when the government rations electricity (cuts power for several hours at a time), our batteries provide for us.
In Zambia, load shedding has become unbearable. Power cuts are more frequent and last longer. So we’re all investing in larger batteries.
Last week, my gracious landlord in Lusaka replaced my inverter’s batteries, with new ones, 3x the size. I also imported 10 inverters for our JABU office, so our #software and #FinOps teams never experience downtime. Our hope: a bigger battery back up for when power cuts occur. Happy!
But then I got to thinking… we are all doing the same thing. Yikes!
My power consumption went up significantly. I am charging batteries 3x the size. And if every household and office are employing this strategy, then we are using up power availability at a higher pace than ever. To top it up, not only are we making the problem worse, but when power comes back, the electrical surge is so high from having to feed empty batteries, that demand is likely out of control.
In simple terms, load shedding is making us buy batteries that make load shedding more frequent. A vicious cycle. And as humans, we don’t self regulate, so expect it to only get worse.
A 2021 survey by the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) found that over 1 million households had adopted battery storage. Even a conservative estimate of 500Wh per battery translates to a potential 500MW surge when power returns after an outage. This sudden demand spike overwhelms the already strained grid, triggering more power outages.
I get goose bumps every time I see my batteries. And I can’t help but think we are all just making the problem worse.
If our Energy ministers and Power Czars are reading this - here are my thoughts on urgent fixes:
- Prioritize grid improvements and maintenance to reduce outages and incentivize reliance on the grid.
- Incentivize smart charging solutions for battery systems that distribute the load throughout the day to minimize peak demand. (Remove import duties maybe?)
- Foster a regulatory environment that encourages urgent renewable energy investments and grid modernization. (I’d invest heavily in solar, in sunny Lusaka, for the right incentives).
