Curtailment collaboration: Pepkor joins City of Cape Town in driving energy saving

Pepkor has partnered with the City of Cape Town in a collaborative effort to address energy challenges at its headquarters in Parow Industria, which houses over 2 500 employees for PEP, PEP Africa, and its manufacturing facility, PepClo. Load shedding curtailment brings together businesses in the area to reduce energy consumption during load shedding periods. By adhering to specific reduction targets outlined by the city, Pepkor and its fellow participants ensure that critical operations continue uninterrupted, even amid power disruptions.

Participating in load shedding curtailment requires Pepkor to decrease its energy use while contributing to a more resilient energy infrastructure. Pepkor’s campus ensures uninterrupted operations during load shedding by optimising equipment usage and minimising non-essential energy consumption. This is critical for PepClo, the group’s manufacturing facility in the building, to continue producing affordable school wear sold in PEP and Ackermans stores.

For Pepkor, load shedding curtailment fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation within the community since businesses in the area have to work together to save enough electricity to have power during load shedding.

Employees in the building are also actively engaged in energy-saving efforts. They are tasked with switching off lights and equipment that is not in use. This proactive approach aligns with the City of Cape Town’s initiative to reduce energy usage.

Ultimately, the success of load shedding curtailment depends on the cooperation of all companies connected to the same feeder or busbar. Each entity in the node is required to meet specific load curtailment targets during different load shedding stages: a 10% reduction during stages 1 and 2, a 15% reduction during stage 3, and a 20% reduction during stage 4.

Additionally, as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce business costs, Pepkor has implemented changes such as ensuring the Pepkor building no longer switches to generator power during load shedding but remains on instead. Solar panels have also been installed to support this initiative further, reducing demand from the Eskom feeder, enhancing the building’s energy efficiency, and reducing its environmental impact.

By actively participating in load shedding curtailment and implementing innovative solutions, Pepkor is building better business by reducing its energy footprint and driving positive change.