EE-News
News and announcements from EE PublishersIssue 264, May 2014
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Invitation: Industry-wide workshop
ICT for the Smart Grid: Views from industry
 
You, your friends, colleagues and all interested persons are cordially invited to attend a free industry-wide workshop organised and hosted by the Centre for Telecommunications in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science at the University of Johannesburg, in association with EE Publishers, entitled:

Information and Communications Technology for the Smart Grid: Views from industry

DATE: 12 June 2014
TIME: 08h30 to 15h00
VENUE: University of Johannesburg, School of Tourism & Hospitality, Conference Room1, Bunting Road Campus, Auckland Park,
COST: Free-of-charge

The workshops objective is to learn from South African stakeholders in the electricity generation and distribution sector and to identify the challenges and problems confronted in the practical implementation of a Smart Grid in South Africa.

This will enable researchers at South African universities and industrial research hubs to focus their research efforts on developing solutions that are relevant to the country's needs.

The concept of a Smart Grid is to incorporate current communication principles and computer networking technology into all aspects of electricity generation, transmission, distribution and usage. The establishment of an interconnected network will provide real-time opportunities for the management of the electricity grid. The result will be a highly adaptable system that can optimally balance the requirements of electricity users and providers.

PROGRAMME

08h30 - 09h00: Registration
09h00 - 09h10: Welcome and Introduction, by Prof Ferreira, CfT Director, UJ
09h15 - 09h55: Communication Challenges in the Smart Grid, by Prof Vinck, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
10h00 - 10h30: Last Mile Communication Challenges, by Nick Singh, Smart Grid CoE Manager, Eskom
10h30 - 11h00: Tea
11h00 - 11h30: The future of power generation, by Sicelo Xulu, Managing Director, City Power
11h35 - 12h05: Applications of TV White Space Networks in Smart Grids, by Dr. Mekuria, Research Group Leader, Meraka, CSIR
12h10 - 12h55: A research platform for smart home applications, by Dawid Oosthuizen, Mechatronics & Micro Manufacturing, CSIR
13h00 - 13h30: General discussion
13h30 - 15h00: Lunch, networking and further discussion

FURTHER INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION

For further information and to register, please contact Dr. Suvendi Chinnappen, Tel: 011 559-3879; Mobile: 084 580-3226; Email: suvendic@uj.ac.za

Please RSVP by 7 June 2014. Space is limited, so please book your seat now to avoid disappointment.

 

 
Views and Opinion
Communications - what is Zuma thinking?
by Hans van de Groenendaal, feature editor, EngineerIT

What is President Zuma thinking? Yunus Carrim is out and former security minister Siyabonga Cwele is in the hot seat to manage South Africa's telecommunications, in a new department called the Ministry of Telecommunications and Postal Services.
 
  
Siyabonga Cwele
Before the election the communications industry had generally expected that Carrim would continue as the minister of communications. When Carrim, on frequent occasions, answered questions about his position, he said that it would be up to the President and that he may not be reappointed. He must have known something that the industry did not know or even anticipated. Even in the days leading up to the elections there were repeated calls for Zuma to keep Carrim in the communications ministry as he was the first in a row of failed appointments that caused delays in the digital migration process to come up with a workable broadband policy, and that in a few short months. Now a new minister, who does not have any apparent experience in telecommunications, has to drive the way forward. Will he be up to it and will he have the right support? One is mindful of the controversy around the director general of communications, Rosey Sekese - from suspension to being locked out of her office - and that during the reign of at least two ministers.

Carrim moved quickly to address many of the problems bedeviling the communications portfolio when he took over the reins last year. But he was not able to resolve some of the more complex issues in the short time he was in office. Why move him out of the cabinet.? Were his views and actions too independent?

Another surprising and incomprehensible move is the creation of a new communications ministry which will be responsible for overarching communications policy and strategy, information dissemination and publicity as well as branding the country abroad. In his announcement on Sunday, Zuma said that improved communication and marketing will promote an informed citizenry and also assist the country to promote investments, economic growth and job creations. The new communications ministry will be looking after the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the SABC, Government Communication and Information Systems, Brand SA and the Media Development and Diversity agency. The Communications Department will be headed by Faith Muthambi... (more)

Please click here to provide your comments and feedback using the comment facility provided at the bottom of the article, or email your comments to Annette Thompson, editor of EngineerIT, annette.thompson@ee.co.za.

 
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