Africa – A Continent in Shadows

In terms of population and land mass, Africa is the second largest continent in the world. But you wouldn’t believe that a majority of the billion people living on the continent survive everyday with little to no access to electricity. In the midst of economic, social, and geopolitical turmoil, many of the poorest nations in Africa are unable to scrounge up the money, resources, and general know-how to bring electricity to their people.

Here are some statistics and information you may not know about the quest for power in Africa:

- 79% of people living in third world African nations have no access to electricity.

- 1.5 billion (25% of the global population) people in the world have no access to electricity – they are mostly concentrated in Africa and southern Asia.

- In 11 countries in Africa, more than 90% of people go completely without electricity.

- In Burundi, Chad, Central African Republic, Liberia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, 3 – 5 % of people have easy access to electric power.

- Africa has the lowest per capita energy use of any continent.

-  Each day, New York City consumes the same amount of electricity as all sub-Saharan African nations combined, excluding South Africa.

- African soil contains an estimated 18% of recoverable uranium.

- The two reactors in South Africa account for 5% of its energy generation.

When the power goes out, it can feel like you will have access to electricity again. Don't be left in the dark - contact Off Grid now, choose from a wide range of back up power solutions and place your order!

What could cause a power cut, besides load shedding?

An unexpected power failure can really ruin your day, cut an event short and put the dampers on an otherwise brilliant day. It can even be dangerous, which can be a huge problem!

There are lots of things you can do to prevent power cuts or minimize their impact, such as purchasing a backup power solution, like a UPS or power bank, from Off Grid. However, lets first look at what causes power cuts in the first place (besides load shedding):

     ·         Weather. The weather tends to cause the majority of power outages, with electrical storms being the number one factor that affects the power grid. A sudden rain storm can play havoc with your temporary power systems if the installation has not factored in waterproofing the equipment.

 

     ·         Poor Quality Equipment. Power generators, UPS devices and other equipment related to the provision of power need to be tested on a regular basis. If this isn’t done, faults can go undetected and these can sometimes cause problems in your power supply. Make sure you purchase high-quality backup power equipment that has been tried and tested – try Off Grid!

     ·         A power system can fail if it isn’t properly set up by a trained and experienced electrician or temporary power specialist. If you try to run an unbalanced load or too much equipment, lighting or appliances through a system that can’t handle it, you could end up with serious problems.

To prevent power outages that could cause inconvenience, make sure you use an expert in temporary power and choose equipment that is regularly tested and maintained.

What is a UPS?

Power cuts, because of the dreaded load shedding, can not only cause you to lose unsaved work and precious data. It can also damage your valuable hardware and network infrastructure. So how do you protect your computers from load shedding? Enter the UPS…

A UPS, or “Uninterruptible Power Supply,” is any device that keeps your computer powered up and operational in the event of a power interruption. Simply put, a UPS is a battery that provides power to your computer or other critical hardware when its primary power source is unavailable. When your computer’s power source is lost, the UPS provides power for a certain amount of time (usually 10 or 15 minutes) so you can save your work and properly shut down your systems.

If you operate your business on a network or have various peripherals connected to your computer, a UPS system can be used to protect multiple devices, including monitors, modems, and routers. Most Uninterruptible Power Supplies will also shield these network systems from damage that may occur from power cuts and surges.

A UPS comes in two basic types: standby or continuous. A standby UPS, as the name implies, doesn’t switch on until power is interrupted. When it detects a loss of power, it switches on immediately (within 5 milliseconds). Most commercial UPSes are of the standby variety.

A continuous UPS, on the other hand, is always on and acts as a battery that powers your computer. A continuous UPS charges itself on power from a wall plug, and in turn runs your computer or other hardware system. This acts as a buffer so that no matter what happens to your power — be it surge, or load shedding — your critical machinery receives a clean, reliable flow of juice.

Uninterruptible power supplies range in price. Some Uninterruptible Power Supplies even include software that automatically saves your open files and shuts down your computer if its power source is compromised.

So before you buy another piece of costly computer hardware, consider investing a little money in a UPS. It can save you the headache of losing valuable data, and, in the event of a power incident, it just might save you some serious money by protecting your infrastructure investment.

Off Grid provides back up power solutions that are both affordable and easy to run! Order yours today and beat the load shedding blues!