Valerie Geen, Head of Energy at the National Business Initiative (NBI), opened a presentation to members of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber in Port Elizabeth today. The focus of the presentation was on funds available via the Private Sector Energy Efficiency (PSEE) program through the provision of a variety of services to identify and implement energy savings measures within industry in the Bay.
Geen, her team, and Gareth Burley, the East Cape Chair for the SAEE, had travelled from East London where they had met with representatives for the East London IDZ and the Boarder Kei Chamber of Business.
The PSEE program, funded through the UK AID program and rolled out in conjunction with the NBI are proud of their logo where the second “E” is not always immediately apparent. Geen said “ when we think of energy we do not always think of energy efficiency with all the talk of alternative or renewable energy. The “plug” in the logo points to the need to address energy efficiency per se.”
The UK government through its Department of International Development (DFID) to implement a countrywide program in support of private sector Energy Efficiency initiatives has made over £8.6 million available.
This is done by allocating funds to pre-approved consulting teams, who can in turn assess where a business stands with it’s energy management system and make recommendations as to the way forward in becoming more energy efficient.
Attendees to the presentation were given the opportunity to direct questions to the presenters. Sample questions included ‘how a company could be listed as a consultant’, ‘if the consultant report would be all inclusive’ and whether or not PSEE funds were also available to implement recommended capital expenditure required to implement consultant recommendations’. Further sample queries were ‘could the carbon markets be accessed for carbon trading in identified projects such as a fuel switch?’ Geen’s response was that the NBI has contracted the Carbon Trust in the UK who has the technical, strategic and energy auditing skills necessary. Geen highlighted that the PSEE remained flexible with regards to the appointment of qualified consultants. The guidance of local industry was also necessary in supporting qualified, local consulting companies that have yet to register for the PSEE program.
PSEE has three levels of engagement; small companies with an energy spend of less then R750k per annum would get advice remotely by phone, PSEE website, publications, events and workshops. The NBI is targeting 2500 companies in this category.
Medium sized companies with annual energy spend between R750k to R45 million per annum, the PSEE would pay for a 4 day audit team to complete a site survey and present a report to the customer containing an energy consumption assessment, identified energy saving opportunities as well as follow up support to implement some of the identified energy savings. 1000 companies are targeted under this category.
60 companies with over R45 million energy spend per annum are targeted with the NBI contributing. Support includes up to 60 days of consulting support to provide a holistic range of energy management systems and strategies, capacity building, identification of energy saving opportunities and business case development for access to investment. These range of services will be informed whereby each company finds itself on its own roadmap to improved energy efficiency and hence adopts a Strategic Energy Management approach. For large companies, the support will follow a 60/40 cost sharing approach with 60% contribution coming from the PSEE program.
The PSEE team is ready to engage companies wishing to participate in the project and for more information you are invited to visit www.nbi.org.za or www.psee.org.za or to call 0861 123 624.
Click here for a link to a short video on the PSEE on YOU TUBE