What is Load Shedding?

Chances are, you have already read or heard about load shedding in the past. For those of you living in areas with a stable supply of electricity, load shedding may be an extremely alien concept. But, did you know that many regions in the world still suffer from power demand and supply imbalance, so lights in those places go off at certain times? Here is a simple explanation of what load shedding is, and a suggestion of a possible solution to keep the lights on.

Load shedding happens when people demand more electricity than what the power utilities can produce. A possible solution to provide everyone with electricity is not to provide everyone with electricity at the same time. Power companies may have to cut the electricity supply of certain users at particular times.

Often, power companies do not decide to shed load just like that. As soon as they recognize that the demand is outstripping the supply, they warn people to conserve electricity and limit their consumption. Unfortunately, this strategy often proves ineffective, so power companies are left with no choice but to resort to more drastic measures.

A point of clarification: Load shedding is often called rolling blackouts, but that may be a misnomer, if you want to be lexically strict about it. A blackout is usually an unforeseen power outage, and as such cannot be scheduled. It can also cause severe damage to power infrastructure.

Load shedding, on the other hand is a controlled response to power demand-supply imbalance. Instead of risking a blackout, power providers will decide on the best way to ration electricity, so that the burden of the shortage can be spread across their networks. Load shedding instances are usually scheduled, and establishments that are highly dependent on electricity, like manufacturing plants or supermarkets, are often informed in advance.

Though load shedding is scheduled, and residents and businesses are notified before it is applied, it is still a huge inconvenience and, if not resolved, can prove detrimental to social and economic progress. Load shedding can perfectly avoided by hiring rental power plants to boost the supply of electricity in certain areas. When the supply meets the demand, then the need to shed load will be negated. People and businesses will have a constant and reliable supply of electricity, and their day-to-day activities will no longer have to be adjusted or interrupted.

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