Clarens, the Beacon of Hope Amidst Eskom's Load-Shedding Crisis

In an era where darkness intermittently shrouds South African towns due to the longstanding plague of load-shedding, the quaint town of Clarens in the Free State stands as a beacon of hope. Eskom has proudly proclaimed Clarens as South Africa’s inaugural “smart town,” revolutionary in its approach to combat the nation’s persistent power cuts. This innovative leap has been facilitated by the advent of a system enabling the town to self-manage its electricity demand and sidestep the dreaded load-shedding schedule.

The town’s transformation from a picturesque art haven to a pioneer in smart city initiatives has not only embroidered its own fabric but has also set an imperative precedent for the rest of the country. Under the concerted drive of Eskom and the town’s representatives, Clarens has rolled out smart metering infrastructure, while also embellishing its streets with electrical vehicle charging stations. The forward-thinking community also boasts a diverse array of small-scale embedded generators, with businesses and individuals harnessing solar panels and battery storage to fortify their energy autonomy.

Bibi Bedir, Eskom’s senior manager for retail in the Free State, delineated the well-oiled mechanism of “load curtailment” that is currently not a novel concept but rather an age-old practice among several municipalities. However, the concept of "group curtailment" which involves a community collectively managing its own load, has set foot in the national grid with Clarens as its pilot. Bedir elucidated that during system emergencies, a two-hour notice is issued to a nominated group coordinator for load curtailment. It is this coordinator who then guides the community on how to achieve the required demand reduction by directing which equipment to switch off.

The curator of this seamless system is none other than Clarens local, Gert Kruger, who not only serves as the group coordinator but also envisaged an app, developed by his company Augos, to inform residents of impending load curtailment. Armed with a meter at the town’s main supply point, which relays demand statistics to Eskom every minute, Kruger ensures further load reduction when necessary. This pioneering method has fostered a life-changing outcome for a town that relies predominantly on tourism, and has done so with the endorsement and voluntary participation of the entire community.

Eskom’s stringent monitoring of the demand reduction warrants that the curtailment, ranging from stages 1 to 4, must be sustained, failing which the usual load-shedding is reinstated. However, Clarens has risen to the occasion with admirable success. Residents and businesses have demonstrated substantial compliance, marking Clarens as a model for similar programs that Eskom anticipates launching across the nation.

This story not only illuminates Clarens’s triumph but also exemplifies how collective action and smart initiatives can forge pathways through the gridlock of energy crises, shining a light on the importance of adaptability and unity in the face of adversity.