Plumbers have begun installing the first batch of 3 000 geysers in Irving Heights, in northern Grahamstown near Mary Waters High School and while information is still sketchy as to how many jobs the project will create, it has the dual purpose of providing training for unskilled workers.
Plumbers have begun installing the first batch of 3 000 geysers in Irving Heights, in northern Grahamstown near Mary Waters High School and while information is still sketchy as to how many jobs the project will create, it has the dual purpose of providing training for unskilled workers.
Eskom is subsidising the installation of solar geysers in low-income households as part of its Solar Water Heating Rebate Programme. According to a statement earlier this year by Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart when she announced the rollout of the programme in Makana, the geysers would be installed in homes with an income of less than R6 000 a month.
The municipality has appointed Port Elizabeth-based plumbing company, Plumb Force, which has begun installing solar geysers at the rate of 10 a day. Plumb Force Director, George Makosa, said at present they had been given a list of only 3 000 houses in which to install the solar geysers.
The beneficiaries do not pay for the geysers because Eskom is financing the whole project.
"Eskom will determine if Plumb Force has done the work required satisfactorily, and we will [claim from them]based on that," said Makosa.
The project is also intended to create job opportunities and while neither the municipality nor Plumb Force has been specific about how many people the project is providing work for, training for unskilled workers starts on Monday, Makosa said.
He explained that the installations would be done by teams of workers: one skilled, one semi-skilled and one unskilled. The number of teams will grow as the project progressed. Training would take seven days: three days theory, four days practical.
"The selection process for employing the people will be guided by ward councillors," said Makosa.
“The shortage of labour obliges us to train people even if they’re unskilled. By the time this project is done, the people will be left semi-skilled, so they can be utilised in other projects.
Makosa said the fact that unskilled and semi-skilled labour was being used did not, however, compromise the quality of the work.
"Even though we are hiring unskilled labour there is a category that we will abide by: the people being employed must have been previously employed," he said.
He also suggested the installation was more or less foolproof, because it came as a ready-made kit.
Those newly trained people would be responsible for ongoing maintenance on the geysers, during the 10-year term of the maintenance contract.
Since there is a high risk of copper being stolen, Eskom requires that galvanized steel be used in the installations.
"Steel goes for around R2 a kilo, which will be pretty much useless to steal as it will require a lot of labour from the culprits," said Makosa.
While Plumb Force have committed to installing at least 30 geysers a month, Makosa said they hoped to do 1 000 a month.
Why Eskom is doing it
According to Eskom's website (www.eskom.co.za) the government has set a target for renewable energy to contribute 10 000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of final energy consumption by 2013.
"Solar water heating could contribute up to 23% towards this target," the website says.
"Solar power is one of the most effective renewable energy sources available. By implementing it in water heating, we can target one of the most power-intensive household activities for maximum power saving effect."
To encourage consumers to go solar, Eskom offers rebates for households replacing their conventional geysers with SABS-approved solar water heaters. This is done in a three-way negotiation between the householder, Eskom and the service-provider.
The programme currently under way in Makana also involves the municipality, whose role is to facilitate the selection of low-income households to benefit, as well as the selection of people to be trained by Plumb Force.
