The extensive use of fossil fuels coupled with its decreasing availability has ignited many countries to enact policies on energy usage. Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) all over the world are implementing initiatives to save energy. The South African ESCO industry must still overcome many barriers for it to be as effective as other global ESCOs. One of the stakeholders of an energy-savings intervention is the measurement and verification (M&V) team. The M&V team aims to provide objective and independent quantification of energy savings realised during an intervention. Despite the importance of the M&V function, the M&V process was shown to be inefficient, lacking in standardisation and research. The focus of this dissertation is to identify opportunities for improvement within the M&V process and to determine methods for the easy management thereof. The first two research aims are met by evaluating the process and determining the requirements for improving the process with regard to the critical areas that were identified. It is realised that the management of the M&V process could be simplified by using an information management system. This leads to the design of an information management system for the M&V process using the knowledge obtained during the evaluation. A case study is performed on one of South Africa’s largest ESCOs. The findings of the case study underline improvements regarding certain performance indicators. Moreover, the findings suggest that an information management system can support all the desired process requirements. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The extensive use of fossil fuels coupled with its decreasing availability has ignited many countries to enact policies on energy usage. Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) all over the world are implementing initiatives to save energy. The South African ESCO industry must still overcome many barriers for it to be as effective as other global ESCOs. One of the stakeholders of an energy-savings intervention is the measurement and verification (M&V) team. The M&V team aims to provide objective and independent quantification of energy savings realised during an intervention. Despite the importance of the M&V function, the M&V process was shown to be inefficient, lacking in standardisation and research. The focus of this dissertation is to identify opportunities for improvement within the M&V process and to determine methods for the easy management thereof. The first two research aims are met by evaluating the process and determining the requirements for improving the process with regard to the critical areas that were identified. It is realised that the management of the M&V process could be simplified by using an information management system. This leads to the design of an information management system for the M&V process using the knowledge obtained during the evaluation. A case study is performed on one of South Africa’s largest ESCOs. The findings of the case study underline improvements regarding certain performance indicators. Moreover, the findings suggest that an information management system can support all the desired process requirements. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The electricity cost is one of the largest components of operating costs on a belt conveyor system. This dissertation introduces a unique Conveyor Electricity Cost Efficiency Audit Methodology (CECEAM). In the CECEAM the conveyor system is evaluated from a high to detail level in order to identify opportunities to improve electricity costs. The CECEAM includes methodologies and tools developed to analyze not only the conveyor belt alone, but also the materials handling system as a whole. The outline of the dissertation is structured as follows: Chapter 1 includes the background and problem identification by means of a literature study. The main objective, as well as specific objectives, is defined in this chapter. In chapter 2, the CECEAM is introduced and an overview of the total methodology is discussed. The data acquisition part of the CECEAM; documentation, personnel, walk, technical audit as well as the conveyor database is discussed in chapter 3. Chapter 4 concentrates on the Conveyor Energy Conversion Model (CECM) and the verification thereof. The Integrated Conveyor Energy Model (ICEM) methodology is introduced (in chapter 5) and the economic evaluation concepts and energy management basics needed in the CECEAM are covered. Chapter 6 covers a CECEAM case study where the practical application of the CECEAM is illustrated with ICEM simulations, opportunity identification and recommendations. The conclusion and recommendations for further studies is proposed in chapter 7. / Dissertation (MSc (Electrical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering / unrestricted