In 2022, South Africans have experienced their worst year for loadshedding since the practice began in 2008 – and it’s becoming apparent that this scourge is going to be with us for a while yet.
With many companies and households without power for as much as eight hours a day over the past months, the need to ensure alternative power sources has never been more urgent.
Ryan Martyn, sales and marketing director of Syntech, explains that, while some cities are being proactive in limiting loadshedding, most of the country can probably expect to live with it for the foreseeable future.
“I was horrified to realise that in a place like Cavendish Square – a busy city centre retail destination – about 90% of the small stores there can’t operate when there’s loadshedding.
“These places could stay open quite easily if they could just keep their lights on and operate the till – but so many of them simply don’t have the wherewithal to do even that.
“The reality is that many SMEs want a solution but can’t afford it, or don’t have the time or expertise to solve the problems. So they have to shut up shop instead, and risk their businesses.”
It doesn’t help that power solutions tend to rise in prices as soon as loadshedding strikes. “We have seen instances where prices quadruple as soon as loadshedding is announced,” Martyn says.
“Customers and resellers are entitled to ask why they are being ripped off when their need is greatest.”
Syntech brings in the Gizzu range of power solutions, striking a balance between efficiency, ease of deployment and prices.
“What we are trying to do is keep the pricing affordable and consistent; and also ensure that the buyer gets the best value,” Martyn says.
He explains that power solutions tend to be an impulse or emotional buy, something customers feel they have to do when their backs are to the wall – and often people buy any available solution without properly determining what they really need.
“That way of thinking can be expensive and there is no real guaranteed return on investment (ROI),” he says. “So we aim to being solutions to market that address the customers’ needs and make a direct connection to ROI.
“And, because out solutions are all plug-and-play they are more cost-effective than a large scale, wired-in installation that requires a certificate of compliance. Small businesses can easily connect what they need to keep their doors open, home workers can continue working, and households can switch on lights and power up what they need to continue their lives in safety.
“Right now the real question is what is the cost of not working, or being safe: that’s the opportunity cost, and what will determine the ROI.”
Indeed, companies with remote workforces are keen to keep their employees connected despite loadshedding.
Francois Lottering, regional director at Syntech, points out that at least one large corporate has ordered thousands of portable power stations for their employees, and he expects this trend will take off as loadshedding continues.
Portable power is also proving to be a boon for workers in the field, Lottering adds. “If an installer gets to the customer and they have loadshedding, he can’t do the job he came to do, or validate it when he’s done. But bringing his own power supply means this isn’t an issue so loadshedding doesn’t have to affect workers in the field.”
Going forward, Craig Nowitz, MD of Syntech, believes that customers are going to look at more long-term power alternatives, like solar; and appliances that draw less power.
“For example, the new generation of desktop PCs have much lower energy requirements, and customers are going to prefer these. The general trend is going to be towards more energy-efficient products.”
Gizzu solutions
The most simple and elegant solution for small businesses and households is a portable plug-and-play one, Nowitz says.
“We don’t play in the installer market, where people have to get solutions wired into their distribution (DB) boards. What we offer instead are easy-to-deploy portable power stations, in uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or non-UPS versions.”
At the entry-level, users plug their portable power station in when there is loadshedding, and disconnect to charge the battery when the power is back on.
With the UPS version, users simply stay connected to the power station, which is connected to mains supply and switches automatically to charging when the power is on.
Syntech has also recognised that many small businesses and work-from-home employees use laptops that can comfortably stay charged for the normal two-and-a-half hours’ of loadshedding. What they need, however, is reliable Internet access and light.
“To solve the connectivity problem, we have a direct current (DC) UPS that can run a router and fibre. Available in six different models, this is a cost-effective solution that tackles the challenge of remaining connected for a range of customers.”
All of the Gizzu power solutions run on lithium ion batteries. This is important, say Nowitz, as they are more reliable and batteries can run right down without shortening their lives.
“If you run lead acid batteries to less than 50% capacity, their cycles drop from 500 to 200. You are effectively destroying the battery and reducing its useful life.”
Lithium ion batteries are also significantly smaller lighter than lead acid batteries, therefore they take up much less space for a similar output, and are truly portable.
Gizzu batteries come in two flavours: lithium ion and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), which goes further in providing capacity and lifecycle.
Nowitz explains: “A normal lithium ion battery has 300 to 500 cycles, whereas a LiFePO4 battery has between 2 000 and 4 000 cycles – so it should last about 10 years.”
Syntech is also bringing in smaller LiFePO4 batteries for use in gate motors and alarm systems. “A big problem with loadshedding is that these batteries run down and have a much shorter lifetime than normal. The LiFePO4 batteries help to keep people safer.”
Yes, Nowitz says, lithium ion and LiFePO4 batteries cost more than their lead acid equivalents. “You may pay twice the price now, but you are buying reliability and a longer lifetime. Given that batteries are the biggest part of the power solution cost, it’s not something you want to have to replace.”
When the power goes out, the first thing that affects more homes and businesses is that the lights go out.
“For this, we have an off-grid solar solution that ensures the lights stay on all the time,” Nowitz says. “It’s a small solar panel, battery and three lights, plus a USB port. It’s not wired into the house, it’s not reliant on the grid, and it’s easy for customers to safely install themselves.”
Rounding out Syntech’s power solution portfolio is a light bulb the continues to operate during loadshedding. And it’s smart enough to recognise the difference between being switched off and losing power, Nowitz adds, making it a useful addition to any user’s loadshedding arsenal.
It even changes colour when the power goes off: during normal operation it is warm white, switching to cool white during loadshedding. And users can dim the bulbs to ensure they get a longer light when the power is off.
How to specify a power system
Despite 14 years of loadshedding, more customers and even some resellers still battle to specify the correct power solution for their needs.
“There is still a lot of education needed that respect,” says Ryan Martyn, sales and marketing director of Syntech. “So we are doing a lot to teach resellers how to work it out, and hopefully they will pass this knowledge on to end users.
“Among other things, we are developing a series of video tutorials to help people to understand how to spec a power solution.”
It’s not that complicated to work out, adds Craig Nowitz, MD of Syntech.
“Users need to look on the alternating current (AC) adapters of their devices to find out what their wattage is. If that’s not available, multiply the device’s voltage by its amperes and that will give the watts.
“If you want to run the device for two-and-a-half hours during loadshedding, multiple this number of 2,5 and that will tell you the amount of watt hours your power supply must output.
“Most of the time, the power supply will lose about 15% of the watt capacity in running efficiency, so a 288 watt hour device will actually output about 255 watt hours. So make sure the device or devices connected to this power supply don’t draw more than 98 watts.”
About Syntech
Syntech works closely with key resellers to add value to the market by incorporating products, services and providing exceptional technical support. This methodology helps our partners to deliver more than just a product, it enables them to create solutions that match market demand.
It caters to several industries and operate in multiple vertical markets, with a particular focus placed on providing value-added service and support to: mass retail; niche retail; online retail; managed service providers; security and surveillance; and Apple resellers.
Learn more at www.syntech.co.za