From the looks of it, load shedding (rolling blackouts) is not going anywhere in a hurry. In addition to this, the grid infrastructure is aging and taking a pounding whenever the grid is re-energised. Here in Johannesburg, we see transformers failing on a regular basis.When this happens, the outage isn’t just an annoying two or four hours, but it can be out for days.

Whether it’s produce, vaccines or a fresh six pack, we want our stuff to be cool. But with these regular blackouts, you loose cooling, and if you don’t pay attention, you might even pop a compressor. So, how do we do it?

The first and most obvious way, is to fire up the generator. This is easy, doesn’t need major rewiring of your premises, and for a few bucks extra, can start itself when your local utility flicks the switch. The downside is that it is noisy, you have the added hassle of keeping the tank full, and a standard back-up generator needs regular servicing. At the current load shedding frequency, you are likely to reach your 150 or 200 hours in less than 12 months. Backup generators are also not designed for prolonged hours of use and chances are you’ll loose the gennie too.

Another option is to invest in some renewable energy. In the long run, this is a great option, and possibly one of the better investments you can make at the moment. The downside of this is that you need plenty of space.

The other important decision to make, should you opt for renewable backup power, is whether you will go a grid tied, off grid or hybrid type system. This choice will depend entirely on your operation. Off course, we all like to stick it to the Man from time to time, but sometimes you might need the guy.

We recently started working on ways to incorporate thermal storage solutions into our cold rooms. The concept is not new, and it certainly is a much cooler solution for backup energy than batteries and generators. Watch this space for more details.

How is loading shedding stealing your cool? Contact sales@neutronrefrigeration.co.za today for some cool load shedding advice.