UJ leads energy technology revolution

An innovative new energy management technology piloted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) could help to prevent power cuts in South Africa.

The Z-LYNK technology facilitates better management of the electricity grid by switching off and controlling electricity loads at peak times‚ reducing pressure on the grid by reducing demand at peak times.

It also has the potential to drive down costs for municipalities that buy power from Eskom through the effective control of domestic loads‚ particularly those of hot water cylinders.

Smart Grid Networks‚ in association with the UK-based Northumbria Energy Limited and with support from the UK Government's Prosperity Fund‚ is developing the technology at Resolution Circle headquarters‚ a company owned by UJ.

Z-LYNK facilitates better management of the electricity grid by switching off and controlling electricity loads at peak times. The technology allows for significant energy savings to be achieved through better load management‚ which reduces the pressure on the grid by reducing demand at peak times.

MD of Northumbria Energy Tim Cantle-Jones explained how the technology works: “Z-LYNK uses the pre-existing power grid infrastructure to communicate along power lines‚ meaning that every part of the interconnected grid becomes a transmitter. The technology can be used to help reduce peak-time load‚ which would ultimately reduce the cost of electricity.

“Pilot programmes we have already run in South Africa‚ including in Johannesburg‚ have seen energy usage decrease significantly‚ without any negative effects. This has seen significant cost benefits for our partners and demonstrates the effectiveness of Z-LYNK.”

Willem Clarke‚ CEO at Resolution Circle‚ explained how Z-LYNK had already been implemented to great effect by at its on-campus base. He said: “The Resolution Circle building has had Z-LYNK technology installed for a number of months now and we're very pleased with the initial results. We have been able to control interior‚ exterior and car park lighting remotely across the entire site‚ turning off unnecessary units when appropriate‚ ultimately saving us a significant amount of energy and money as a consequence. There is also the potential for a further roll-out the technology across the rest of the university campus.

Mthobi Tyamzashe‚ executive director of Smart Grid Networks‚ says the technology has the potential to drive social and economic improvements.

“Across Africa there are millions of people living without a reliable electricity source‚ which limits their economic‚ social and personal development. In South Africa alone‚ it is estimated. that‚ since the electricity crunch began in 2007‚ the economy has lost more than R300-billion due to an unreliable source of power.”