Universities Investing Millions to Stay Operational During Power Outages

South Africa is currently facing an escalating electricity crisis, with loadshedding causing widespread disruptions. Unfortunately, universities are not exempt from this problem as they have to spend millions to keep their facilities running.

The loadshedding crisis is having a long-term impact on university finances, as they are forced to allocate significant funds to power generators. Dr. Phethiwe Matutu, the CEO of Universities South Africa (USAf), revealed that smaller universities spend approximately R1233 per day during stage 3 load-shedding, while larger universities spend a whopping R196,000 per day.

These costs soar even higher during loadshedding, with smaller universities spending R2,600 and larger universities spending R2.2 million. This puts a tremendous strain on their budgets and requires them to redirect funds or find alternative sources of energy.

To cope with loadshedding, many universities have implemented a contingency plan that includes hybrid energy sources, solar power, backup generators, and inverter batteries. However, these resources are not sufficient to fully sustain teaching and learning activities during blackouts.

In order to assist universities in the short term and minimize the impact of loadshedding, Matutu suggests that the government provide additional funds. This will enable universities and the government to devise a clear strategy and develop effective alternatives to keep the universities operational during this power crisis.

The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, has taken steps to address the issue by establishing a joint working group between the Departments of Higher Education and Training, and Science and Innovation. The group is currently conducting a survey to assess the impact of loadshedding on universities.

According to the survey, ten universities have developed plans to deal effectively with loadshedding, while the remaining eight universities are still in the process of formulating their strategies. These plans will involve adjusting academic programs and implementing hybrid teaching and learning methods to mitigate the effects of loadshedding.

The loadshedding crisis in South Africa has put universities in a challenging position, requiring them to find solutions to keep their operations running smoothly. With the assistance of the government and proactive measures from universities themselves, it is hoped that the impact of loadshedding can be minimized and universities can continue to provide quality education to their students.