Electrical energy has become a very important and integrated part of the current era. Electricity cost saving interventions, such as load shifting, form part of demand side management (DSM) interventions. DSM interventions have been successfully implemented in the past to ensure reliable supply of electricity during the Eskom peak periods. It has been established that there is a need to implement an electricity cost saving intervention on a large water distribution utility. This dissertation focuses on the integration of electricity cost saving interventions on a water distribution utility. An investigation methodology, as well as an integration strategy for implementing an electricity cost saving intervention were developed. This study expands on the importance of an integrated approach. It further discusses the shortcomings of the current control philosophies of a large water distribution utility in South Africa. A load shifting project was implemented as an electricity cost saving intervention on a large water distribution utility in South Africa. The proposed integrated strategy was simulated and an optimised approach developed. It was found that the implementation of the strategy was limited due to process constraints and increasing water demand. Utilising the large combined installed capacity of the pumps in the water distribution utility and the storage capacity, the strategy was implemented and cost savings obtained. It was concluded that load shifting was possible on individual pumping stations in the water distribution utility subsystems, and could, therefore, be quantified to an integrated approach. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Electrical energy has become a very important and integrated part of the current era. Electricity cost saving interventions, such as load shifting, form part of demand side management (DSM) interventions. DSM interventions have been successfully implemented in the past to ensure reliable supply of electricity during the Eskom peak periods. It has been established that there is a need to implement an electricity cost saving intervention on a large water distribution utility. This dissertation focuses on the integration of electricity cost saving interventions on a water distribution utility. An investigation methodology, as well as an integration strategy for implementing an electricity cost saving intervention were developed. This study expands on the importance of an integrated approach. It further discusses the shortcomings of the current control philosophies of a large water distribution utility in South Africa. A load shifting project was implemented as an electricity cost saving intervention on a large water distribution utility in South Africa. The proposed integrated strategy was simulated and an optimised approach developed. It was found that the implementation of the strategy was limited due to process constraints and increasing water demand. Utilising the large combined installed capacity of the pumps in the water distribution utility and the storage capacity, the strategy was implemented and cost savings obtained. It was concluded that load shifting was possible on individual pumping stations in the water distribution utility subsystems, and could, therefore, be quantified to an integrated approach. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015