Phakamisa Baleni

Responsible for the effective management and supervision of the Protection Division :

• Undertakes staff acquisitions
• Supervises staff and provides advice and direction
• Chairs disciplinary hearings and deals with grievances
• Approves staff leave and overtime
• Authorizes pool vehicle usage
• Prepares and controls capital and operating budgets
• Appoints contractors to deal with staff shortages or excess work load
• Budgets and compiles technical specifications for the procurement of specialized test equipment
• Undertakes forward planning (one year ahead) to utilize new advances in technology
• Attends courses and conferences to keep abreast of new protection philosophies and technologies
• Updates and implements Municipality’s Code of Practices and Standards relevant to protection systems, cable fault location and pilot networks
• Trains and developments staff

In order to ensure that objectives are met and proper outcomes achieved

Responsible for the commissioning of new protection systems :

• Evaluates proposed protection design and implements necessary changes
• Conducts factory acceptance testing and inspection of new protection systems to ensure that the Municipality’s standards and NRS standards are adhered to
• Advises internal or external project managers
• Computes the fault level using scientific calculations
• Computes the protection settings using scientific calculations
• Configures and programs numerical protection relays using a lap top PC and proprietary software
• Allocates staff resources
• Oversees the progress of the commissioning
• Attends site meetings with project manager to discuss progress
• Provides technical support to subordinates
• Verifies completed documentation for correctness.
• Witnesses testing if commissioning is performed by contractors.
• Updates technical drawings.
• Authorizes final clearance for energisation.
• Reports progress and technical issues to the Project Manager
• Updates commissioning procedures to keep abreast of technological developments.
• Ensures that the new protection systems meet the required quality of supply objectives.

In order to ensure that all new protection systems are installed, configured and integrated into the existing network for purposes of meeting the design and quality of supply objectives

Performs commissioning of new protection systems :

• Checks panel wiring according to design
• Configures and programs numerical protection relays using a lap top computer and proprietary software
• Tests the configuration philosophy by simulating a fault condition
• Uploads the settings to the numerical protection relay using a lap top computer and proprietary relay software
• Confirms the settings by secondary injecting the numerical protection relay using a lap top computer and a secondary injection test kit
• Perform current transformer tests
• Tests electromechanical protection relays by secondary injecting the protection relay using a lap top computer and a secondary injection test kit
• Calibrates the electromechanical relays using specialized tools
• Performs functional checks to check philosophy of the protection system
• Performs specialized tests to confirm integrity of the protection system
• Witnesses testing if commissioning is performed by contractors
• Attends site meetings with project manager to discuss progress
• Updates technical drawings
• Records all test results on protection data sheets
• Performs on load checks and tests
• Provides technical support to subordinates
• Recommends updates to commissioning procedures to keep abreast of technological developments

To ensure that all new protection systems are installed, configured and integrated into the existing network such that its performance meets the design objectives

• Read and comprehend the planning code of practice with emphasis on planning philosophies and principles.
• Model parts of the LV and MV network to conduct load flow studies, and voltage drop calculations for new extensions and to determine reinforcements of existing networks.
• Acquire working knowledge of Did-silent design system and associated software applications.
• Plan and design an LV and MV urban reticulation scheme, including the determination of switchgear, transformer and protection requirements.
• Asses the economics and technical advantages of alternative distribution systems.
• Liaise with and understand the function of the drawing office where all distribution records are filed.
• HV and MV masterplans
• Network analysis, design, costing, quoting, and project management of businesses, multiple domestic and rural supplies in accordance with NRS specifications.
• Co-relate the municipal standards to servitude and wayleaves in terms of land matter application.
• Identify, select and know the function of LV equipment and components (CDU's fuses, connectors, house service cables, circuit breakers credit meters, prepayment meters, etc)

• We received architectural drawings from the architects in a CAD format and cleaned them to best suit the electrical needs.
• Producing Bill of Quantities
• Producing Electrical specification document
• Project Management, attending site progress meetings, site supervision.