Clarens Pioneers a New Path as South Africa's First 'Smart Town'

In a remarkable step towards sustainable energy management, Clarens, a scenic town in the heart of South Africa's Free State province, has assumed a pioneering role by becoming the nation's first 'smart town'. This groundbreaking initiative allows the community to manage its own electricity demand proactively during the persistent phases of load-shedding which have beset the country.

In a detailed statement issued by the national electricity provider, Eskom, it was disclosed that Clarens residents are now primed to handle their electricity load through a technique termed load curtailment. This approach stands in contrast to load-shedding, wherein power supply to customers is systematically switched off according to a predetermined schedule. Instead, with load curtailment, cooperating customers are required to voluntarily reduce their energy demand by 10% to 20% during stages 1-4 of load-shedding.

To assist residents in this endeavor, an innovative application has been launched, signalling users when curtailment is necessary. This technology-driven method encourages community members to implement their load reduction strategies in real-time. Smart metering equipment, which conveys up-to-the-minute statistics of the town’s current energy usage, supports these efforts. This mechanism ensures that adjustments to power consumption can be made swiftly if necessary.

The collaborative nature of Clarens' load management is highlighted by the role of a group co-ordinator who, upon receiving a two-hour notice from Eskom, mobilizes the town to maintain the required load curtailment throughout the load-shedding period. The success of this voluntary system hinges on communal cooperation to effectively reduce energy consumption when instructed by the designated co-ordinator.

Eskom's recent revelation of Clarens’ proactive energy management strategy arrives several months after a separate incident in which a small Free State town was instructed by the utility to cease a system called “voiding” that was employed during load-shedding periods. The small town of Frankfort, under the management of Rural Free State, had undertaken a trial solar project that aimed to offset the impact of load-shedding. Nonetheless, complications arose when Eskom reversed its initial approval, leading to legal challenges that culminated in a high court decision.

The smart town initiative in Clarens also includes infrastructure preparations for future technological advancements such as electrical vehicle charging stations and integration with small-scale embedded generators (SSEGs), setting a precedent for other South African localities to emulate. The endeavors in Clarens could signify the dawning of an era where communities take a more active role in managing their energy resources, adding a new dimension to the debate on sustainable and self-sufficient living within the national energy landscape.