E-Newsletter for the Power & Energy Sectors of Southern Africa
Issue 92, Oct 2015
Time to rethink how cities and towns are managed by Jean Venter, Institute for Local Government Management
It is often said that we need to get back to basics, and that we need to re-invent and refresh tired processes and value propositions. Increasingly, these directives are aimed at local government, which is ultimately... (more)
Why Eskom will not permit wholesale installation of grid-tied rooftop PV by Prince Moyo, Eskom
Recent pressures of supply constraints in South Africa and international trends of switching to cheaper environmentally friendly electricity supply options have led to the increasing deployment of renewable small-scale... (more)
Should you do that energy management course? by Karel Steyn, SAEE
An advertisement may state: "5 day MBA in energy management", but a real MBA should take much longer than five days to complete. Such an advert might seem somewhat of an anomaly and similar to one claiming... (more)
Statistically speaking: A memory lane for numbers by Dr. Vincent Micali, Stats4Buz
This column is brought to you by Dr. Vincent Micali, a Chartered Statistician with 42 years of varied experience in the energy industry. He has a PhD from the University of the Free State in Extreme Value Theory (Statistics) and... (more)
Awards for South African energy sector leaders, innovators and projects by Roger Lilley, EE Publishers
Participants in the energy sector gathered recently to recognise companies that have demonstrated excellence in energy projects, and innovative individuals who have become role models for the industry. The 2015 SANEA/SANEDI Energy Awards... (more)
Significant growth reported in renewable energy investment and usage
Information from The Renewable Energy Policy Network (REN21)
Renewable energy continued to grow in 2014 against the backdrop of increasing global energy consumption, particularly in developing countries, and a dramatic decline in oil prices during the second half of the year. Despite rising energy use, for the first time... (more)
Guide for generator online over and under excitation issues
Information from Cigré
To ensure stability of power grids, electric generators must be able to do voltage control of the connected power grid. Voltage control is done by producing or absorbing reactive power. Generator operation in the inductive regime (exporting reactive power into the... (more)
What is the future for European power utilities?
by Fereidoon Sioshansi, Menlo Energy Economics
Europe provides rich material for anyone interested in a study of the rapid metamorphosis of the power sector. While the worst may be over, the future looks bleak, especially for coal. Following decades of enjoying stable demand growth and healthy returns... (more)
Lessons learnt from recent emergencies and blackout incidents
Information from Cigré
Large disturbances which interrupt supply to customers over wide areas occur every now and then despite best practices and efforts in planning and operating the power grid. These disturbances are usually unpredictable, and they often result in... (more)
White butterflies as solar photovoltaic concentrators
by Katie Shanks, Dr. Senthilarasu Sundaram, Prof. Richard ffrench-Constant and Prof. Tapas Mallick, University of Exeter
Harvesting of photovoltaic (PV) energy requires the deployment of extensive arrays of solar panels. To improve both the gathering of thermal and PV energy from the sun we have examined the concept of biomimicry in white butterflies of the family Pieridae... (more)
Addressing single phase earth faults with reclosers
Information from NOJA Power
The advent of the microprocessor protection relay within a recloser controller has allowed the introduction of a significant number of new protection features and functionality. In parallel to these enhancements the recloser switch has transformed into... (more)
The grid-connected microgrid: local network of the future?
by Mike Rycroft, features editor, EE Publishers
The microgrid had its origin in off-grid applications which comprised several generation sources, having all the features of smart grid was able to balance supply and demand. The development of advanced microgrid controllers has facilitated connection... (more)
Optimising energy management and consumption
Information from Beckhoff
The drying and processing of wood is a process that requires a lot of energy. Holzwerke Weinzierl in Germany nevertheless manages to generate more power than it consumes. The basis for this achievement is a modern energy management system that... (more)
Counting on energy storage for better utility-scale PV output
by Ritesh Gupta, PV Insider
Photovoltaic (PV) plant operators are keen to adopt energy storage if the grid operator demands a certain ramp rate from their output. It is critical to assess how various stakeholders perceive energy storage and what sort of developments can be expected in the solar... (more)
The "how to" of surge protection for dairy farming
Information from DEHN Protection
Lightning protection systems are recommended for all farm buildings to reduce the risk of damage sustained from a lightning strike. This is of particular concern across the African continent, given the high incidence of thunderstorms involving lightning that occur... (more)
Real power for virtual server systems
by Mike Rycroft, features editor, EE Publishers
Present data centres are high power and high energy consumers. The nature of computing is changing rapidly with the concept of cloud computing, virtual storage and virtual processors. This brings with it the possibility of substantial reduction in energy... (more)
Energy efficiency measures and the rebound effect
by Mike Rycroft, features editor, EE Publishers
Energy efficiency (EE) measures have the potential to reduce both energy consumption and maximum demand in industrial processes. The gains achieved through technical measures are however often offset by behavioural responses, and the overall reductions... (more)
Power Developments in Africa
Compiled by Aimée Clarke, EE Publishers
Gas found off the coast of Egypt
Mauritania could fuel economic growth with renewable energy
African Development Bank seeks $55-billion for energy
Partnership for hydropower plant development in Africa
