As we have all watched Eskom become an inept and failed public enterprise, South Africans overall deserve a round of applause for their resilience and adaptability in the unending crisis! The current poster child for government inefficiency, the national power supplier has made some onerous demands on commerce and industry. The worst demands, in fact, as a business’ continued existence depends on a continued production for most, and that unavoidably comes down to a continual power supply, something Eskom is no longer capable of. Such existential challenges have brought out the best in South Africa’s businesses, however, and as a thin silver lining to a dark cloud that seems like it will never blow away, companies have largely reinvented power supply and held forth admirably.
Our nation’s capital, Pretoria, has faced the same challenges as any other city or industry facing a failing national power grid, and generators in Pretoria are now a very common thing. Indeed, the Jacaranda City would be a lot less glamorous (especially at night) were it not for the fleet of industrial generators most never see, but which keeps powering up on demand and keeping business afloat. It is hard to guess the unemployment, loss of aesthetic value, and overall knock-on effect, were diesel generators not the refined pieces of machinery they are today. Of course, that applies equally anywhere in the country, not only in Pretoria, but it has to be said that as the nation’s capital, generators in Pretoria are helping to keep our flag flying high.
From Jacaranda City to Generator City!
In the industrial precincts of Pretoria, generators have become the default alternative power supply option, as they have done in every major metropolis in South Africa. That is because, in terms of cost-effectiveness, reliability, and durability, diesel generators still present as the best solution in the vast majority of cases. Solar energy is rising in prominence, as are wind and other renewable energy sources, but the ubiquitous diesel generator still demonstrates the best value for money, and the best performance of all technologies that are potentially able to step into the breach made by Eskom’s dismal underperformance.
The generators of Pretoria that are currently keeping the city on schedule and illuminated take many forms. There is a massive fleet of residential generators humming away at innumerable households, and together, they generate a massive capacity, pretty much just what should be there but is not, in fact, when Eskom switches off.
It would be an interesting calculation, however, to look at how much power is supplied by residential generators in Pretoria, as opposed to the industrial generators that dot the city too. Indeed, Pretoria as we know it would not be the same without the large generative capacity employed by local commerce and industry. Industrial generators typically start at around 50 kVA minimum, whereas a good silent residential generator, for example, will usually only be an 8 kVA or 12 kVA machine.
An Industrial Generator is Only a Bigger Residential Generator, Right?
While it might appear, because of their common kVA rating, that industrial generators must simply be bigger versions of residential generators, that is simply not the case. Some technology increases in complexity as demand or capacity increases. A guy with a spade and wheelbarrow is doing pretty much the same thing as a concrete mixing truck 100 times his size, but the same simple methodology does not hold true when it comes to generators, and especially generators in Pretoria.
Not only are there government precincts in and around Pretoria that are heavy feeders, innumerable heavy industrial compounds, mines, and even waterworks abound too. These installations not only need more power, but the nuances and imperatives that come into play with large-scale industrial power generation mean that the simple action of a residential generator is left far behind.
In any generator, yes, an engine turns by burning diesel, and that engine translates the generated energy into electrical energy, in the case of a generator. That is where the similarities between residential and industrial generators end, however, as working at an industrial level demands a far more technical and highly machined piece of equipment than the average homeowner can get away with. In fact, the electrician who comes to fix your pool pump is considered a “light duty” practitioner. That is not a denigration, as electricity demands skills and expertise from the micro to the macro level. It simply means they do not work with heavy duty installations, which is exactly what most commercial and certainly large industrial installations require. Light duty (or residential) generators are freely available from innumerable outlets across Pretoria, but when you are shopping for generators in Pretoria as a commercial concern, you have to go to those with the appropriate expertise and supply if you want to get it right the first time.
PacB Generators Keep Pretoria Rolling
PacB is more than a generator supplier – we are a manufacturing concern producing some of the most impressive and polished industrial generators in the country. Because industrial generators enter the loftier reaches of electrical engineering, it takes real expertise and a great deal of experience to build top performing industrial generators. We not only manufacture components for top brands, but we are also a top brand ourselves! Our list of satisfied commercial clients is a long one, and the reasons for that are twofold:
Call on PacB first when it is time to start generating some serious power – we are the leading manufacturing concern for bespoke, large, supremely engineered generators, and we will show you just how pleasingly potent our solutions can be.
Our qualified technicians offer support and advice in the selection of the right power solution for your needs by calculating your power requirements.