Is it safe to say that engineering is a passion, not a job? Are the best soccer players top scorers because soccer is a job? No, it’s a passion that consumes these players’ lives.

“I’ve always had a passion for renewable and green energy and feel it’s a crucial field of engineering that needs further development”, says Allan van den Berg, 3rd year Mechatronics Engineering Student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Allan is also one of the three students who received bursaries from the SAEE, on the 9th of June 2010 at Buitengeluk in Johannesburg during the Energy Cybernetics Energy Barometer Launch and Energy Certification awards.

Energy efficiency has been a reality with the SAEE since its inception. The Association has recognised this world-wide trend and has identified the need for continued education on the subject, therefore the initiative of The New Energy Reality series of Roadshows throughout the country. The next reality stop is Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape on the 27th of August 2010 at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

The mining and industrial sectors in South Africa contribute a staggering 67% combined electricity market share of Eskom’s capacity, with the balance shared between the residential, agricultural, commercial and transport sectors.

According to the handbook Energy Efficiency Made Simple 2009, South Africa’s energy intensity is high because of the country’s economic structure – we have highly energy intensive industries such as deep level mining and metal smelters. However, only about 18% of the 67% of energy consumed is by the mining sector, with the balance of almost 50% accounting for industrial use.

According to GL Radke from Siemens in an article published in September 2004, internationally, about 70% of all electrical energy used by mining and industry is employed to run motors. Motors drive pumps, fans, air compressors, conveyors, etc. Therefore, any interventions to improve energy efficiency should warrant careful consideration of motor-driven loads within a plant.

This is all good and well. Where do we start to translate energy efficiency into a favorable bottom line?

The value of customer-facing events is increasing rapidly in an era where technology is de-personalising customer contact. Opportunities to vastly increase brand recognition at customer-facing events should not be underestimated.

A study by Penton Media concludes that 20% of an average sized company’s marketing spend should be with customer-facing events – the highest single area of spend. If that market spend is focused in a niche market that is currently showing all indications of booming – you cannot afford not the get involved.

The Southern African Association for Energy Efficiency appreciates the value of face-to-face interaction between energy stakeholders in the region and has therefore taken on the responsibility of delivering a platform for such interaction for the energy management-, environmental-, facilities building upgrade-, energy engineer-, co-generation-power generation- and efficiency improvement industries – the SAEE Convention 2010.