Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The world today is facing many energy challenges such as power outages experienced internationally and in South Africa. The demand for energy is constantly increasing and
is creating environmental problems such as climate change, which is presently a major
concern to society. This study is an attempt to establish how energy saving
mechanisms such as the elimination of non-essential power can add economic value
within the mining industry. This paper examines the effect of non-essential power and
how it could assist companies to reduce their energy consumption, aid local power
utilities in a crisis and maintain normal production levels.
This research report was based on an investigation for power saving opportunities at a
mining company during a power crisis. The paper looks at energy efficiency and the
barriers to the adoption of energy savings.
Companies in general do not have a structured way of addressing non-essential power
saving. Companies are not aware of the value such initiatives could have on corporate
responsibility and sustainable reporting. The benefits of energy efficiency and nonessential
power on the triple bottom line are not clearly documented in literature. When
comparing the impact of non-essential power on the triple bottom line, it became
obvious that further research is required in order to prove whether it influences the
social aspect. The impact of power generation on the global environment has not been
clearly calculated and linked to the value of saving power. The literature review
highlighted that companies are focusing on long-term initiatives instead of smaller
initiatives, which requires less effort. During the investigation of the mining company, it
was found that not much effort was made during the design stages in separating the
electrical circuits from non-essential and essential power.
The author concludes that switching off non-essential power held economic and
environmental benefits for the mining company. The author therefore concludes that
switching off non-essential power impacts positively on the economic and environmental
part of the triple bottom line. It was found that the elimination of non-essential power is
easy to implement with minimum investment and effort. Furthermore, the savings from
these initiatives could easily be measured to calculate the return on the investment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ons kry deesdae al meer te doen met uitdagings soos internasionale en plaaslike kragonderbrekings in die energiebedryf. Die aanvraag vir energie verhoog deurlopend
en veroorsaak omgewingsprobleme soos klimaatsveranderinge, wat ‘n groot
bekommernis is vir die samelewing. In hierdie studie word gepoog om vas te stel hoe
energie besparings meganismes soos die eliminering van nie-noodsaaklike krag
ekonomiese waarde kan voeg tot die mynboubedryf. Die uitwerking wat nie-noodsaaklike
krag het en hoe dit maatskappye kan help om kragverbruik te verlaag
terwyl produksievlakke steeds gehandhaaf word, is hier ondersoek. Plaaslike
kragvoorsieners kan ook baat vind hierby in krisistye.
Hierdie navorsingsverslag is gebaseer op ‘n ondersoek van krag besparings
geleenthede by ‘n mynmaatskappy gedurende ‘n krisistydperk van kragonderbrekings.
Die verslag kyk na die doetreffendheid van energieverbruik, asook na die hindernisse
wat ondervind word in die inwerkingstelling van energie besparings inisiatiewe.
Maatskappye het in die algemeen nie ‘n gestruktureerde metode om die probleem
rakende nie-noodsaaklike krag aan te spreek nie. Hulle is nie bewus van die nut wat
sulke inisiatiewe kan hê op korporatiewe verantwoordelikheid en volhoubare
verslaggewing nie. Die voordele wat energiebesparing en die eliminering van nie-noodsaaklike krag op die ekonomie, gemeenskap en omgewing het, word nie duidelik
geboekstaaf nie. Verdere navorsing moet gedoen word om die impak van
energiedoeltreffendheid en nie-noodsaaklike krag op die sosiale aspek te bewys. Die
uitwerking wat kragopwekking op die globale omgewing het is nog nie bereken en
verbind met die waarde daarvan op kragbesparing nie. Die verslag beklemtoon dat
maatskappye fokus op langtermyn inisiatiewe in plaas daarvan om te kyk na kleiner
inisiatiewe wat minder moeite en tyd sal verg.
Die ondersoek by die mynmaatskappy het getoon dat daar nie klem geplaas is op die
onderskeiding tussen nie-noodsaaklike en noodsaaklike krag met die installering van
die elektriese stroombane tydens die ontwerpstadium nie. Daar is gevind dat die
afskakeling van nie-noodsaaklike krag ekonomiese en omgewingsvoordele vir die maatskappy inhou.
Daar is tot die slotsom gekom dat die afskakeling van nie-noodsaaklike krag in die algemeen dus ‘n voordelige uitwerking het op die ekonomie en omgewing. Dit is maklik
om te implementeer met minimum moeite en belegging. Die besparings deur middel
van hierdie inisiatiewe kan ook maklik gemeet word om die opbrengs op die belegging
te bereken.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/843 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Govender, Soobramoney |
| Contributors | Volschenk, Jako, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 69 leaves |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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