Escom doesn't care

[Justloadit]

Will the miracle run out of power?

[AndyD]

Well I'm sure the ANC are praying it won't before the elections at least .

[IanF]

I just wonder what this latest round of no loadshedding is costing Eskom, sorry us in the next price increase.

[irneb]

Am I the only one who feels some sympathy toward Eskom?

I fear you're alone there. AFAICT they've been pounding it very well without investing in upgrades / maintenance for years (or should that be decades). Now we're hitting the bottle-neck due to a "crisis" in capacity.

They were warned in the 90s that they weren't spending enough on accommodating the future growth, but we're "used" to that aren't we? It seems no forward thinking happens in SA ... and we seem to be very bad at crisis-management as well (at least bad at getting good results)!

[wynn]

It seems no forward thinking happens in SA

The furthest forward any leaders need to think in this country is the next few weeks until after the elections when everything can return to 'full stop' for the next five years until the run up to the next elections.

[irneb]

The furthest forward any leaders need to think in this country is the next few weeks until after the elections when everything can return to 'full stop' for the next five years until the run up to the next elections.

+1

[Dave A]

Will the miracle run out of power?

Well I'm sure the ANC are praying it won't before the elections at least .

As I gazed out at the distant hills and watched the lights go out in whole swathes on that blackout Thursday evening, the first thought that came to my mind was "every time this happens, JZ & Co are losing votes."

They were warned in the 90s that they weren't spending enough on accommodating the future growth

Just to remind you, it was Eskom that was doing the warning. It was government (right up at cabinet level) that was doing the ignoring. Nailing down the arms deal was much more important...

So I'm kinda with Andy - it's certainly not all Eskom's fault.
At least up until the current power station build got started (what a friggin mess they're making of that ).

[irneb]

Just to remind you, it was Eskom that was doing the warning. It was government (right up at cabinet level) that was doing the ignoring. Nailing down the arms deal was much more important...

So I'm kinda with Andy - it's certainly not all Eskom's fault.
At least up until the current power station build got started (what a friggin mess they're making of that ).

Yep, it was employees of Eskom at the time who did the warnings. But apparently they were let go because they made these. So the current Eishkom is not the same company anymore, and that might also be a contributing factor in why their current station roll-out is going so poorly: the experienced manpower isn't the same as it was.

[Justloadit]

Like an old timer used to tell me in my younger days, when you are inexperienced, even your testicles get in the way with the action

[AndyD]

.....Just to remind you, it was Eskom that was doing the warning. It was government (right up at cabinet level) that was doing the ignoring....

This was exactly my point, how much control does Eskom actually have over its own destiny? Eskom is steered by the minister of energy.....who's a politician. The infrastructure expansion program was always dependant on getting the nod from the ruling party but much of the earmarked funding for this was diverted to more pressing causes.

it's certainly not all Eskom's fault.
At least up until the current power station build got started (what a friggin mess they're making of that ).

Even with the new power stations the tender process and awards would have been steered by the minister ultimately. I'm not saying Eskom are without blame but I'm happy to believe they're not the main driving force that resulted in the position we're all in now.

TBH I hope the lights go out for weeks on end rather than just the odd day, it would certainly make the run up to the elections more of a spectator sport.

[KristiKat]

Most probably.

That is what's the worst about any monopoly. They're unwilling to go with anything which might be better, especially if it means they might loose their strangle hold over their customers. It's nothing specific about Eskom, it's the same for ANY monopolistic organization - even including governments. If they don't have competition, they won't have incentive to provide better service / products.

@gombault,

I have already designed and developed an efficient LED module, 1W, 2W and 3W, which can work from 10.5 volts to 30V DC. The beauty of this design, is that no matter what the voltage is, it always draws the same amount of power! note Power, not amps. So for example, at 10V it draws 350mA from the source, at 20V it draws 175mA from the source, and the same lumens are maintained. The LEDs I use are 120Lumens per watt, and let me tell you that is bright.

These modules can be placed into any light fitting. I have not made these modules to have a bayonet or Phillip screw, as unbeknown to many consumers, they would purchase the "Lamps" and connect it into a mains socket. In fact there is a directive that states that certain globe holders are for certain voltages, specifically because of consumers and their lack of knowledge on the subject.

I have found from my experience, no one really gives a damn about you and your product, To make it out there, you have to knock on doors and sell the product yourself.

yes I believe they KNOW of such engineering but won't utilize it because it would mean they would lose money...

such structures should be found unconstitutional, not providing people with affordable electricity and technology.

iskom don't have money. The reality of this colossal cluster fuck is that our only power provider didn't do proper maintenance due to demand and there addiction to money. iskom wants all the greens in the bank so they made sure that no other company can come and build there own stations and sell power to the public. and then the crap hit the fan when shit start to fall a part and is close to be beyond repair.

iskom then figured ok how can we solve this? there answer an even bigger money pit called the NEW power station so now ishkom have withdrawal symptoms! they are cutting off anything they don't need so that they can feed the moneypit and themselves with money!

blame it on the maladministration of the administrative law practice when it comes to controlling and monitoring organs of state..

just by the way, ESKOM is not a private company but a PUBLIC COMPANY owned by the government,

so who are they to strike deals with the government in anyway?

when they are subject to the law of the government itself.

I understand that the technology used on the new power stations is a special European specification, which allows creep flow in the piping. This has presented the contractors with enormous QA/QC problems, leading to a huge number of failed piping joints. Once operational, these power-stations will spend most of their life moving in & out of operation, due to this complication.

My first view was that this technology may not be an appropriate choice for an African application.

More troubles on the horizon, it seems.

yep good point,

and africa has too many people in anyway,

when there are MORE THAN ENOUGH people to provide for,

socio-economic rights should be applied and monitored more strictly,

but they don't care really,

the constitution is only there to sit on a shelf and look pretty....

Do these characters know anything else?
Management by crises - no forward thinking applied.

when they live in the moment self service applies before all....

[KristiKat]

Yep, it was employees of Eskom at the time who did the warnings. But apparently they were let go because they made these. So the current Eishkom is not the same company anymore, and that might also be a contributing factor in why their current station roll-out is going so poorly: the experienced manpower isn't the same as it was.

the state wants everything,

question is did they actually have a choice to hand their company over to state control?

[Dave A]

question is did they actually have a choice to hand their company over to state control?

Eskom has always been a parastatal organisation and accountable to the government of the day.

[irneb]

the state wants everything,

question is did they actually have a choice to hand their company over to state control?

They were never a "company" before they got "privatized". That's actually the problem: Privatization never works without splitting the state owned organization into competitors. A fully state run service may be inefficient, but a monopoly is much more so! And the way SA's has gone (not just Eskom) is even worse, since these orgs are "private" and yet still under government stewardship. In which case when I say "Eishkom" I don't mean the employees (who are the company - all companies are but the sum of their staff), but rather their management - in this case the government (if not directly, then in effect). Which means you get the worst of both sides: government inefficiency added to monopolistic tendencies.

I actually think the privatization initiative is a form of smoke-screen. It was done so a scape goat could be used for these "stupid" decisions. WHEN it blows up in their faces, the politicians can shift the blame to the company to avoid some (at least) fallout on their own inappropriate choices.

[gombault]

If anyone wants to know more about our product or if you want to get involved in selling/ installing it in your area you can contact us by mail at celgo@eject.co.za We can also arrange financing for this system at much better rates than the banks. Our free solar house lighting system is actually completely free because you will subtract its cost from your electrical bill and you will never be without lights again.