Tag Archives: Financial Losses

Addressing Ongoing Concerns: The State of My Complaint Against City Power Johannesburg

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I find myself compelled to revisit and articulate my ongoing concerns regarding the lack of progress on my complaint about the poor service I have received from City Power Johannesburg. This complaint was formally lodged with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on April 15, 2024. Unfortunately, since then, I have seen little action taken to address the pressing issues I raised.

A Letter of Disappointment

On October 11, 2024, I received a letter from NERSA’s CEO, addressed to the CEO of City Power. While I won’t delve into the inaccuracies presented in that correspondence, I must highlight a troubling omission: there are no outlined consequences or penalties for City Power. The letter mentioned that the matter “may be escalated to NERSA if there is dissatisfaction from the aggrieved party.” This begs the question: what progress has been made since I first approached City Power on March 12, 2024?

It’s worth noting that City Power contravened Section 4.6.1.1 months ago, which mandates that complaints be resolved within 15 business days. Yet, there have been no repercussions for this breach, raising serious concerns about accountability.

The Need for Accountability

It’s widely understood that utility companies that fail to meet specified quality standards, such as voltage levels, may face fines from NERSA. However, this crucial aspect was notably absent in the recent correspondence. The letter suggested that City Power must engage with the complaint before any mediation could occur. My previous experiences, particularly one from July 2010, lead me to question the efficacy of this approach. In that instance, City Power failed to attend a meeting scheduled by NERSA, resulting in an inconclusive outcome with no meaningful follow-up. This pattern raises concerns about NERSA’s capacity to enforce compliance.

Concerns About NERSA’s Effectiveness

I am increasingly worried about NERSA’s effectiveness as a regulatory body. If a utility company consistently fails to provide reliable service and violates NRS 047 requirements, will there be tangible consequences? My experiences since 2010 have made me skeptical about the enforcement of such measures.

Additionally, I reported significant voltage and current imbalances to NERSA in Modderbee, Springs, yet no action was taken because I am not deemed a customer. This raises broader questions about how power quality issues are managed across different municipalities. I had hoped that NERSA could facilitate communication with the relevant utility companies to address these pressing concerns.

The Role of NERSA: Are We Left to Navigate Alone?

Given the ongoing issues, one must wonder whether both large power users and residential consumers are left to fend for themselves. If that’s the case, what is the purpose of taxpayer funding for an organization like NERSA?

Economic Consequences of Inadequate Power Quality

This topic is not merely bureaucratic; it has real economic implications. Poor power quality can impose substantial financial burdens. For instance, the Leonardo Power Quality Initiative estimates that inadequate power quality costs the European economy up to €150 billion annually, while losses in the United States range from $119 billion to $188 billion, according to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

This raises two critical questions: Why do we assume that South Africa’s power quality is better than that of the U.S. or certain European nations? And how can we be confident that all municipalities in South Africa are free from power quality issues? Leaders must provide clarity and transparency in these matters to foster public trust in regulatory bodies.

If poor power quality is evident in major cities like Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, what implications does this have for smaller towns and cities that may lack access to qualified engineers?

Insights on Negative Phase Sequencing: A Global Perspective

Interestingly, the Agulhas Utilities Corporation’s website attracts significant international traffic, with visitors from the U.S. constituting 61.64% of total traffic, compared to only 6.73% from South Africa. The most frequently visited section—aside from the homepage—focuses on Negative Phase Sequencing, indicating a strong global interest in this subject that extends beyond our local context.

A Call for Reform in the Regulatory Framework

Given these insights, it’s clear that we must reconsider and reform the regulatory framework governing the electrical power industry. Establishing an independent inspectorate with the authority to investigate a wide range of issues is essential. This oversight should encompass local power distributors, private generating companies, and even Eskom. It’s vital that only individuals with the necessary skills and experience are appointed to these positions to ensure effective oversight and accountability within the sector.

As I continue to pursue my complaint, I remain hopeful that our regulatory bodies can evolve to better serve and protect consumers. The time for action is now.

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Understanding Power Quality and Unbalanced Power Networks

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#PowerQuality #ElectricalEngineering #EnergyInfrastructure

Please take a moment to review this important document and explore the links within it.

Introduction

The concept of “power quality” may seem abstract, especially when dealing with an intangible commodity like electricity. However, for commercial and industrial facility managers, it holds significant importance. Good power quality directly impacts productivity and employee safety. Conversely, poor power quality can lead to financial losses due to equipment damage, reduced productivity, and product spoilage. Recognizing and maintaining optimal power quality is essential for efficient operations and overall business success.

Economic Implications of Power Quality

Power quality, often overlooked but crucial, has significant economic implications. The Leonardo Power Quality Initiative estimates that poor power quality costs the European economy up to €150 billion annually, while in the U.S., losses range from $119 billion to $188 billion, as reported by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). However, a pivotal finding by EPRI highlights that a staggering 80 percent of power-quality disturbances originate within a facility itself.

Impact of Renewable Energy on Power Quality

The data, although dated, suggests that the economy has experienced substantial growth. Additionally, network operators now heavily rely on renewable energy sources. However, this shift may have unintended consequences, potentially impacting power quality.

Sustainable Development and Power Quality

In the context of increased competitiveness, companies are increasingly concerned about sustainable development. Inadequate power quality (PQ) can lead to significant financial losses and impact a company’s sustainability.

Utility Charges and Imbalances

Utility companies charge commercial and industrial consumers based on both active power (kW) and reactive power (kVAR). Imbalances affect both. Reactive power (associated with voltage and current phase differences) increases due to imbalances, leading to additional charges. Moreover, higher losses from imbalances result in increased energy consumption, indirectly affecting consumer bills.

Challenges in South Africa

While energy providers and users worldwide recognize the urgency of addressing power quality issues, South Africa faces unique challenges. Despite an aging infrastructure, load fluctuations, and insufficient maintenance, power quality issues are not addressed adequately. Articles calling out Eskom, City Power, and NERSA have gone unanswered. Questions arise about NERSA’s role—does it merely issue licenses and approve tariff increases, or does it also manage safety and reliability compliance? It is time to raise awareness and demand accountability. End-users must advocate for higher-quality power, and utilities should prioritize improved power quality.

Balanced vs. Unbalanced Power Networks

In this document, I delve into the principles of balanced and unbalanced power networks, using real-world data to highlight the differences between these scenarios. Specifically, I address Eskom and other power distributors’ awareness of unbalanced network conditions and their actions to rectify them.

Financial Burden on Customers

Importantly, I explore how customers, who experience unbalanced networks, shoulder a substantial financial burden through their electricity bills. Meanwhile, electricity generators—whether from coal-fired power stations, nuclear sources, or renewable energy—may remain apathetic. The inefficiencies arising from unbalanced networks could inadvertently enhance their profits.

Conclusion

Primarily, it is crucial to understand that the zero-sequence component is responsible for generating heat in transformers and cables, hence the need for its elimination. Secondly, imbalanced network conditions lead to an extremely high neutral current and elevated circulating currents in the delta windings of transformers. These conditions can cause transformers and cables to overheat, potentially leading to unexpected shutdowns or even more serious failures like cables being burnt off or transformer insulation ignition.

Reflect on the recent surge in reported cable and transformer malfunctions, and then form your own opinion: Are Eskom and other power distributors cognizant of the imbalanced network conditions? Furthermore, do they take adequate measures to inspect the networks for this issue? Based on my observations, it seems unlikely. They appear to disregard any notifications concerning imbalanced network conditions.

A recurring query is: who reaps the benefits from the additional charges customers pay due to unbalanced network conditions? Let us delve into this. Customers require a certain amount of electrical power, or real power, to carry out specific tasks. However, these unbalanced network conditions lead to a substantial rise in inefficient powers, causing an increase in apparent power. Since customers’ bills are primarily based on this apparent power, they end up paying more for these inefficient powers. On the generation side, power must be produced to offset the losses. Each unit generated includes a profit margin. Therefore, the more units produced, the greater the profits. It is important to note that none of the power plants, whether coal-fired, nuclear, or renewable, operate as non-profit entities.

It might be beneficial for individuals like the Eskom executive to peruse this article, along with other articles I have shared on my blog. Additionally, web pages such as Symmetrical Component Analysis and Negative Phase Sequencing could provide further understanding of this concept.

Those who have comprehended the aforementioned information can independently determine the validity of the claim that Modderbee and Linden are not experiencing unbalanced network conditions.

What is crucial is that consumers need to determine if they are willing to pay a significantly higher price for electricity, considering that the issues should be resolved by the power supply distributors, including Eskom.

Equally significant is the fact that imbalances in networks are not readily apparent in power supplies. For instance, in Linden, individuals might assume the power supply is functioning normally by checking the phase-to-neutral voltages. Similarly, in Modderbee, Eskom and electricity department officials might perceive the network as problem-free when they observe that the phase-to-phase voltages are consistent.

If you are under the impression that residing in a different part of the globe shields you from unbalanced network conditions, it might be worth verifying that assumption. As outlined in this document, you might be totally unaware of such occurrences.

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Who Gains Advantage from Unbalanced Network Conditions?

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What could possibly prompt Eskom or any power distribution companies to look into issues of unbalanced power networks? Could it be the threat of legal proceedings?

I understood that a representative from Eskom was notified about potential network imbalances at the Modderbee municipal substation, but it might have been disregarded as unlikely. However, since I was not present, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information I received indirectly.

The secondary reason for publishing this article is my effort to reach out to someone who professes to have extensive knowledge about Eskom’s power quality. I did not just send one email, but two. Despite being successfully delivered, the first email went unanswered, and the second was “deleted without being read,” as per the notification I received in my email account.

Consider the recent increase in reported issues with cables and transformers, and then draw your own conclusions: Are Eskom and other power suppliers aware of the network imbalances? Moreover, do they implement sufficient checks to identify these issues in the networks? From what I’ve observed, it doesn’t seem so. They seem to ignore any alerts related to network imbalances.

A question that often arises is: who benefits from the extra costs that customers incur due to unbalanced network voltage conditions? Let us explore this. Customers need a specific amount of electrical power, also known as real power, to perform certain tasks. However, the unbalanced network conditions result in a significant increase in inefficient powers, leading to a rise in apparent power. As customers’ bills are mainly calculated based on this apparent power, they end up paying more for these inefficient powers. On the generation side, power must be produced to also compensate for the losses. Each unit generated carries a profit margin. Hence, the more units produced, the higher the profits. It is crucial to remember that all power plants, whether they are coal-fired, nuclear, or renewable, do not operate as non-profit organizations.

It’s also important to note that network imbalances are not easily noticeable in power supplies. For example, in Linden, people might believe the power supply is working properly by examining the phase-to-neutral voltages. Likewise, in Modderbee, officials from Eskom and the electricity department might view the network as free of issues when they see that the phase-to-phase voltages are stable.

If you think that living in a different part of the world protects you from unbalanced network conditions, it may be beneficial to reevaluate that belief. As highlighted in this document, you might be completely oblivious to such events.

Read this document.

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