Lungisa Indlela Village, located in Cottonlands, Verulam is about to get R50 000 worth of solar heating systems installed at their facility for widows and HIV/Aids orphans, thanks to Silveray Manufacturing, which donated their prize to the organisation after winning the Business Energy Saving Competition.

The competition’s aim was to catalyse energy efficiency in Durban’s business community, as a part of the overarching UN/DIPA projects. Each of the 13 competition entrants were challenged to make the biggest energy savings through a series of energy efficiency interventions that they undertook over the course of the five month long competition.

The proud winners of the competition were announced recently. Stationery manufacturer, Silveray Manufacturing, beat 13 eThekwini-based companies after achieving the greatest saving 585kW of electricity per week from the base month of March.

Silveray faced stiff competition from the runner-up of the competition, Verus Farming and Investments, who implemented an extensive renewable energy intervention in a bid to become almost entirely independent of the Eskom energy grid.

In the end Silveray emerged the winner due to the fact that they had achieved the greatest reduction in energy and because of the larger impact that a business of Silveray’s nature usually has on energy consumption.

Interventions undertaken by Silveray include the installation of a 6000 litre Solar water heater (installed before competition), energy inefficient light fittings were replaced throughout the factory, hot water shower restrictors  were put in place to reduce the amount of hot water that is used thereby reducing the energy consumption, a staff awareness drive was conducted which encouraged the switching off of computers and pumps when not in use, the afternoon supper shift  was changed to 19h00 to save 30 minutes of peak electricity times,  timers were fitted on the canteen urns , Specific machines with heaters were fitted with timers , the Air and vacuum systems were fully serviced, and leaks were removed from the system, and roof cladding was cleaned to increase  natural lighting in the building. This is still a work in progress.

Niel Spieres, Managing Director, Silveray Manufacturing said, “We are committed to energy efficiency because electricity has become an increasingly expensive commodity. If we could all do our small bit, it will give Eskom time to recover without all the disastrous load shedding. We need to find ways of reducing our usage to counter this without having to once again force the increases onto the consumer in the products we manufacture”.

He added that the win will impact greatly on the community development initiative that they have chosen.

“As part of our corporate social responsibility we are so grateful that the R50 000.00 prize money can be spent on solar heating systems at the “LIV” Lungisisa Indlela Village. This is a brand new initiative where the care of widows and HIV/AIDS orphans on a large scale is starting to take shape,” said Spieres.

Deputy Mayor, Logie Naidoo commented that, “The competition has left a lasting impression with the participating businesses as the staff members of the various firms have become more conscientious of energy usage and have started to change their habits. I would like to encourage all businesses and residents to follow this example and make changes to reduce energy consumption, not only for the sake of saving money, but also for the long term sustainability of the planet.”

Russell Curtis from the Durban Investment Promotion Agency (DIPA) said, “the participating firms and these commendable winners have demonstrated business leadership, along with nation building to the energy saving efforts, which will make positive contribution towards Durban’s Climate Change Mitigation”.

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