by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
The recent announcement of the signing of an agreement between the South African government and the Russian nuclear company Rosatom has created a flood of speculation and comment about the future of nuclear power generation in this country... (more)
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by John Whybrow, Pr.Eng (SA), Chartered Engineer (UK)
The procurement model for the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers (REIPP) programme is acceptable to most of its stakeholders as it enables the bidders to refine their bids to a mutually acceptable conclusion. This is because there is only one significant variable in the evaluating process... (more)
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by Roger Lilley, EE Publishers
The Department of Energy's Dr. Wolsey Barnard says South African municipalities need to improve electricity service delivery and clear backlogs so that more residents can have access to electricity. The country, he said, is severely challenged with regard to its electricity supply due to a lack of human capacity, financial capacity, and generation capacity... ( more)
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The Jacob Marley column: Shedding the albatross
Shed the albatross: Return Eskom to its rightful owners: the users of electricity. Get rid of its burden of debt, hire a fresh crew, put a competent pilot on the bridge, bail it out and allow its owners to find ways to fund it and pay for it.... (more)
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Energize Inbox, October 2014
from our readers
This month's letters include responses to recent views articles. Send your letters to: energize@ee.co.za. Our winning letter refers to: "Closing the gap: the lost 20%" by Brian Statham, Energize, September 2014)... (more)
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by Thembie Chehore, Frost & Sullivan Africa
What impact has Eskom's tariff structures and tariff increases had on typical South African households - particularly those falling into the lower portions of the income distribution?... ( more)
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by Fereidoon Sioshansi, EEnergy Informer
Coal's future does not look bright in America. Rules already in place and others proposed by the EPA will make it increasingly difficult to build new coal-fired power plants unless they come with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, currently an expensive and technically challenging proposition... ( more)
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If shale gas were to be used for transportation instead of power generation - as a strategic commodity to keep essential transport systems running - then the USA and other countries with far smaller deposits might indeed have reserves that would last for 50 or more years... ( more)
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by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
The shale gas potential in South Africa as well as natural gas discoveries in southern Africa have increased the potential for CPG in this country and it is likely that development of gas powered sector will accelerate in the near future... ( more)
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Protecting insulators from lightning damage
Information from DEHN Protection
The function of isolating spark gaps and connection cables is to protect insulation against lightning-induced surges and to discharge the lightning energy without uncontrolled arcing in an explosive environment... (more) |
by Dale Pudney, HVT Power Systems and Luo Wei, NR Electric
China has one of the most complex interconnected HVAC and HVDC power grids in the world. All of the regional grids of China have implemented a power stability control system which has dramatically improved the stability of the grids... ( more)
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Assessing the effect of PV generation on distribution system voltages
by Greg Shirek, Milsoft Utility Solutions, USA
For solar photovoltaics, different seasons and hours of the day need to be researched to gather and develop best fit insolation curves to assist in the power flows with the distribution system local loads... ( more)
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by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
What many users don't realise is that the rooftop PV load profile results in unused energy which may be utilised to gain further advantages in effective use of the solar power generated... (more)
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Information supplied by DEHN Protection
Lightning discharges cause field-based and conducted electrical interference. Surges do not only damage PV modules, inverters and their monitoring electronics, but also devices in the building installation... ( more) |
by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
Fuel cells are finding increasing use in the ICT sector, both as back-up power and as primary power sources in a variety of applications from small remote telecommunications sites, to large data centres... (more)
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Compiled by Peter Adams, EE Publishers
- Botswana opens new coal source
- Kenya's micro solar home system
- Morocco wind project gets support
- Mozambique develops energy resources
- Nigeria investigates blackouts
- SADC shares energy
- South Sudan distribution networks
- Zimbabwe infrastructure rehabilitation... (more)
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