A Comparative Study on Electrical Energy Usage of University Residences in South Africa (2017)

This study presents a comparative energy usage analysis for selected main campus residences at the University of Pretoria and University of Johannesburg, South Africa during the 2017 academic year. The total energy consumption of the residences is presented, with focus on the monthly, seasonal and annual energy consumption of the different residences. Furthermore, the energy intensities of the different university residences are evaluated and compared. The results of the study revealed correlation between energy usage and temperature (heating degree days and cooling degree days) for all the residences, while benchmarking revealed a significant difference in the energy consumption. In particular, the results showed a 34.6% difference between the energy usage of the two universities, highlighting a significantly higher use in the University of Pretoria's residences. Finally, an analysis of the average daily profiles and a walk through revealed possible opportunities for energy saving interventions.