Power couple recognised for solar energy project
A PORT Elizabeth couple who decided to go almost completely off the power grid last year have made it to the finals of the Eskom eta Awards for their energy-saving initiative.
The awards, which will be held next month in Johannesburg, recognise and reward excellence in energy efficiency.
Greenshields couple Jacques and Wendy Engelbrecht, who own an energy saving company in Port Elizabeth, have made it to the finals of the households category after they installed off-grid solar panels at their house last year which allowed them to generate their own power.
Wendy Engelbrecht said they had been nominated for the awards by people in their community who then asked them to submit their story to the eta awards.
"Which we did. Eskom flew us up to Johannesburg last month to present our story of energy saving, which was well received by the panel of experts, who judged the nominees in our category.
"This month, Eskom contacted us to congratulate us on our project and to notify us that we were included on the list as finalists."
The couple investigated the option for 1½ years before installing it in June last year. They started with basics such as installing energy- efficient lighting and occupancy sensors, as well as using a gas stove.
Engelbrecht said the best thing about living off the grid was never having to stress about the ever-increasing electricity costs.
"Who wouldn't want to be self-sufficient? We are completely unaware of the regular power failures that take place in Greenshields Park.
"The general topic of conversation wherever you go is about the cost of electricity and the inconvenience of having no power."
She said going off the grid had been about exploring the possibilities that were available, and it was working well for them so far.
"After doing all the common energy saving things like changing light bulbs and shower heads, we wanted to see what was possible. Today, we have a solar panel installation with a hybrid inverter, which means we generate our own power.
"If we can do it, anyone can. We have taken responsibility for our energy needs and it is free from the sun." - Thulani Gqirana
