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Living on the edge
by Mike Rycroft, editor
 Eskom has managed to pull us through the winter peak without a single unplanned blackout. Well done! But we are still running close to the edge, and failure of any energy sources could put us in the pit. This was achieved at a cost of shutdowns in industry, power buy-backs etc., as well as significant impact on economic growth in the country. So we are still in crisis mode... ( more)
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The Jacob Marley column: Plan Z for electricity supply
Sir, This is indeed a Herculean task of no mean proportions to read all 480 pages making up the final version of National Development Plan - Trevor Manual's plan. With its great sweep of issues of national importance, one may miss out on more mundane economic and labour matters, education, training, skills and even energy... ( more) |
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South Africa to adopt international best practices for its smart grid implementation
Information from Frost and Sullivan
Smart grids in South Africa will allow for control of peak hour demand, without having to increase generation capacity. However, the implementation thereof will require a substantial amount of financial support from government... ( more) |
The potential of natural gas to address South Africa's energy needs
by Chris Bredenhann, PWC
Although South Africa does not have significant proven gas reserves, the potential for indigenous natural gas reserves being found remains a possibility. The introduction of more natural gas into the energy mix in South Africa could lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions... ( more) |
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Letters to the editor of Energize magazine
Send to: energize@ee.co.za
Letters to the editor expressing views, comment and opinion on relevant topics, and or responding to articles or letters previously published, are welcome and highly valued. Letters should be to the point, and no longer than 600 words. The best letter of the month stands to win a sponsored prize... (more)
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Security of supply using renewable energy
Information from HydrogenPartner
Although renewable energy from solar and wind is becoming more affordable and available, it is still dependent on the sunshine or the wind and may therefore vary both minute to minute and over longer time periods. On site energy storage offers a solution to the variability of renewable energy sources ... ( more) |
Utility scale cryogenic energy storage
Information from Basil Read Energy
Electrical power poverty is one of the key constraints restricting economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to state led investments in additional coal fired thermal generation capacity, independent power producers are being introduced to the power generation mix, primarily in the renewable energy space... ( more)
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Energy loss management as strategy towards revenue protection
Information from Itron
Energy is a valuable resource that needs to be controlled with increased efficiency in order to ensure a reduction in losses, a conservation of energy, and a lowering in peak demand. An energy loss management strategy allows control over both technical and non-technical losses in distribution networks... ( more) |
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Reactive power compensation for transmission and distribution systems
by Dale Pudney, HVT Power Systems
With growing demand and constrained and weak power systems in Southern Africa, we need to find the means to improve the power transmission capability within acceptable power quality limits. Reactive power compensation (RPC) offers the most economic means to do so... ( more) |
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Active harmonic filtering and Statcom technology
by Jeremy Wood, RWW Engineering and Aki Leinonen, Merus Power
With the use of more AC variable speed drives in our networks together with the move to larger drive motors for machines and our lack of available power there is a greater need for improved power quality to avoid dips, surges and harmonic problems on our networks... (more)
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Electricity distribution industry (EDI) infrastructure: challenge or opportunity
by Dr Willie de Beer, SANEDI
Since early 1992 the debate intensified in SA in respect of the structure and business model for the electricity supply industry (ESI). These discussions also included the electricity distribution industry (EDI). Sadly, the EDI can today mainly record views but very little vision in respect of the future of the industry... (more)
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Series capacitors for the 765 kV Cape corridor
Information from ABB SA
A total of 6 series capacitors are coming on line in 2012 in the 765 kV national grid in SA, supplied and installed by ABB. The installations, which form part of an initiative to increase power transmission capacity to the Cape region, will allow Eskom more flexibility and reduce its reliance on existing local power generation... (more)
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Using Statcom for voltage dip mitigation
by Dale Pudney, HVT Power Systems
Voltage dips are a major power quality problem for modern industrial processes, causing costly plant outages. Static synchronous compensators (Statcom) are the latest generation of dynamic reactive power compensation equipment that can be used to effectively mitigate voltage dips amongst other power quality problems... (more)
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Cost-benefit of load shifting in the cement industry
by Handré Groenewald, Dr. Jan Vosloo and Prof. Edward Mathews, North-West University
Cement manufacturing is an energy-intensive process where electricity costs account for up to15% of the total manufacturing costs. The increasing electricity tariffs in South Africa make it imperative for cement producers to implement or become involved in DSM initiatives in order to remain competitive... (more)
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Is there life off-grid? Making off-grid viable for South Africans
by Billy de Jong, Solsquare
As an urban being one cannot but get accustomed to having electricity at the flip of a switch. However, imagine life without electricity, without the basic appliances that we so very much depend on and take for granted That's life outside the reach of our public grid power network, or is it?... (more)
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Small-wind energy, reducing grid reliance
Information from Kestrel Wind Turbines
As the green agenda fills our newspapers and the cost efficiency of using renewable sources is realised, on-grid solutions are growing in popularity. But for properties not connected to the grid, reliability and efficiency are key for the end user... (more)
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Design of PV power supply unit for a CubeSat ground station
by GM Mwanyasi and M Adonis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
This paper addresses the concern of the lack of reliability, efficiency and power losses of many photovoltaic standalone power supply systems caused by the different elements of the power supply system and varied power ratings... (more)
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Guidelines for bat monitoring at wind farms
Information from Endangered Wildlife Trust
Wind farms appear to be less harmful to the environment than burning fossil fuels because they do not directly generate greenhouse gas emissions. But for birds and bats, wind farms can be potential
death traps... (more)
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Institute and industry news
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Views, comment and opinion
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