Loadshedding and Fires
Load-shedding was practically unheard of a decade ago, yet today it is an everyday event.
When the demand for electricity exceeds the available supply, planned supply interruptions may be carried out. This is called load shedding. When load exceeds supply the load has to be reduced to a point where the available capacity can handle it, otherwise the result for the whole system could be serious and lead to grid failure. In order to mitigate the risk of grid failure, the system controllers "shed some load" – they switch off the supply to various customers for a short while. The fire risk factor is aggravated by loadshedding in a few ways. this article will expand on some of these factors.