Strong economic growth and development in our country has resulted in an increased demand for electricity. Due to the increased demand for electricity locally, and the trend of regional power supply shortages, it is anticipated that Namibia will experience severe shortages during the next five years, until the commissioning of a base-load power station by 2018/9 This situation has prompted NamPower to implement various solutions under its Short-term Critical Supply (STCS) Project to address the shortage of electricity. The Demand Side Management Project is one of the projects aiming to cost effectively address the electricity supply constraints by reducing electricity demand on the NamPower network during peak times through the implementation of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies. The DSM project includes the following initiatives:

The 1 million Light Emitting Diode (1mLED) Campaign

This program entails the replacement of one million critical incandescent bulbs in the residential sector which are most likely to be switched on during peak demand times, with LED light bulbs. The campaign will be executed by contracting Energy Service Companies (LED Champions) who will recruit local individuals to perform house to house replacements. The free installation of LED lights will be implemented in two phases. The first phase is the Pilot phase which will involve the installation of LEDs in the towns of Mariental, Otjiwarongo and Walvis Bay. If the pilot phase is successful, the installation of the LEDs will proceed in the remaining towns in Namibia. The 1mLED campaign is expected to reduce the peak demand by up to 30MW.

The 20,000 Solar Water Heater (20kSWH) Campaign

The objective of this campaign is to achieve the replacement/ installation of 20,000 solar water heaters (SWHs) over the next five years. The intention is for NamPower to incentivise the installation of SWHs by providing a rebate for each SWH installed. NamPower will provide a list of approved SWH products as well as a list of pre-qualified Installers to the public. Only SWH products which have been approved by NamPower and installed by pre-qualified installers will be eligible for the rebate. The campaign is to be implemented in close collaboration with the local banking fraternity as well as the Solar Revolving Fund under the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The campaign is also expected to stimulate the local SWH market and supplier/installer sector, and will also benefit local financial institutions. This campaign is expected to reduce the national peak demand by about 10MW.

The Virtual Power Station (VPS) and Demand Reduction (DR) campaign

The objective of the campaign is to engage electricity users who have their own standby generators and/or the potential to reduce significant loads on short notice. During the execution of this campaign, the participants will respond to requests from NamPower for additional generation or load reduction and benefit from payment in accordance with the respective agreements. The VPS and DR campaign has the potential of 70MW.

The public awareness and information campaign

The success of the DSM campaign will largely depend on the support and cooperation from all stakeholders. A comprehensive public awareness campaign will be ongoing to provide the public with detailed information on the campaigns. For further information on the DSM Project please contact the team at: DSM@nampower.com.na