Energize

FEATURED ARTICLE
- Battery energy storage technologies for off-grid and transport applications
  by Dr Mesfin Kebede, CSIR
  Energy storage systems play a crucial role in off-grid applications globally. Although various energy storage systems exist, this article considers different battery technologies for their suitability for off-grid and electric vehicle applications. Off-grid electricity can be defined as a stand-alone power system or mini-grid to typically provide a small community with electricity without the support […]
LEAD EDITORIAL: more >>
- Power outages and misinformation
  by Roger Lilley, EE Publishers
  Residents of many of Johannesburg’s suburbs have recently experienced lengthy interruptions in their electricity supply. City Power, Johannesburg’s electricity utility, has offered various reasons for the outages, from cable theft to equipment failure. The question, however, is when will the city’s residents be able to depend on a reliable supply of electricity? In trying to […]
VIDEO
FRONT COVER STORY: more >>
- Reactive Power: The compensation specialists
  by Kevin Talbot, Reactive Power
  Reactive Power has become a leading MV power factor correction and harmonic filtering supplier. It is based in Johannesburg and operates throughout the Southern African region. The company has served the electrical industry since the late 1980s and in recent years has supplied over 200 harmonic filter banks and shunt capacitors from 3,3 to 275 […]
INDUSTRY NEWS: more >>
COMPANY & PRODUCT NEWS: more >>

VIEWS & OPINION: more >>
GENERATION: more >>
- Diesel standby generators and the environment
  by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
  Diesel standby plant has an impact on the environment and is subject to regulations governing noise levels and emissions. The diesel standby plant (DSP) forms an essential part of the electricity supply network and appears in many forms and in many places. In the past, the DSP was common at high-reliability sites such as telecommunications […]
- The importance of controlling gas combustion properly
  by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
  Gas is used in a large number of industrial applications, varying from boilers to industrial furnaces to power generation furnaces and general heating applications. Control of combustion is essential for reasons of safety, pollution control and efficiency of operation. This article summarises the main issues discussed at the recent South African Gas Association (SAGA) seminar […]
- Generators for the age of variable power generation
  by Timo Holopainen, Jari Jäppinen, Juhani Mantere, John Shibutani and Jan Westerlund, ABB
  Grid-support plants are subject to frequent starts and stops, and rapid load cycling. Improving the design of the plant’s alternator so it can withstand additional stresses is fundamental to reliability. More and more renewable power generation sources are connecting to the power grid. The power output of many of these sources can be highly variable […]
TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION: more>>
- Effect of rooftop PV on distribution transformers
  By Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
  Rooftop-mounted photovoltaic systems (RTPV) are expected to have a dramatic impact on distribution networks, and concern has been expressed on the effect on distribution transformers (DT), as increased thermal cycling is expected. However, several diverse studies have shown that a reasonable penetration of RTPV can extend the lifetime of a DT. Nonetheless, if the penetration increases […]
- Directional overcurrent: Explaining the underlying physics of directional protection
  Information from Noja Power
  Distributed generation, which is an emerging technological trend around the world, poses a new set of challenges for the energy industry. With the real possibility of bi-directional power flow and the erosion of the conventional generation, transmission, distribution, retail sequence, the inevitable outcome is that distribution networks need to handle network protection in both forward […]
- Reactive power compensation in electrical networks
  Information from Merus Power
  Modern electrical installations supply power to a wide variety of non-linear loads, where the current drawn does not have a linear relationship with the voltage supplied. This results in distortions in the current and voltage waveforms. The degree of distortion in these waveforms tends to increase according to the number of non-linear loads in a […]
APPLICATION: more >>
- Addressing industrial power quality problems
  by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
  Industrial power quality solutions generally consist of devices to deal with individual problems, and if more than one problem needs to be dealt with, more than one device is required. The unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) is designed to cope with multiple PQ issues. Power quality problems experienced at the grid connection point of industrial […]
- UPS design with active series-parallel power-line conditioning
  by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
  The double conversion uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is the most common version of online UPSs in use today, but has a number of drawbacks. The line-interactive UPS system with active series-parallel power-line conditioning capabilities offers a solution to a number of the problems. The double conversion UPS (DCUPS) , shown in diagrammatic form in Fig. […]
- Battery energy storage technologies for off-grid and transport applications
  by Dr Mesfin Kebede, CSIR
  Energy storage systems play a crucial role in off-grid applications globally. Although various energy storage systems exist, this article considers different battery technologies for their suitability for off-grid and electric vehicle applications. Off-grid electricity can be defined as a stand-alone power system or mini-grid to typically provide a small community with electricity without the support […]
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: more >>
- Spray-on thin film photovoltaics: The next step forward?
  by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
  In a drive to drop the prices of photovoltaic (PV) panels, crystalline silicon technology may have reached its limit. Thin film PV, however, still offers the opportunity to reduce manufacturing costs and hence unit prices. The capability to fabricate PV solar cells on a large scale and at a competitive price is a milestone still […]
- Harnessing the potential of solar PV power safely and effectively
  Information from Seaward Electronics
  Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are being installed in ever increasing numbers throughout the world and are expected to produce electricity safely and reliably for several decades. However, many systems are not satisfactorily evaluated prior to being put into service and many have little, if any, scheduled maintenance or testing over their lifetime which could lead […]
- Techniques to maximise PV panel power output
  by Trevor Barcelo, Analog Devices
  To harvest energy from solar PV panels efficiently, it is important to ensure that the panel voltage does not collapse under load. Techniques using Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and Maximum Power Point Control (MPPC) are often used. This article discusses these terms in more detail. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the output […]

FEATURED ARTICLE

Battery energy storage technologies for off-grid and transport applications

LEAD EDITORIAL: more >>

Power outages and misinformation

VIDEO

FRONT COVER STORY: more >>

Reactive Power: The compensation specialists

INDUSTRY NEWS: more >>

COMPANY & PRODUCT NEWS: more >>

VIEWS & OPINION: more >>

GENERATION: more >>

Diesel standby generators and the environment

The importance of controlling gas combustion properly

Generators for the age of variable power generation

TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION: more>>

Effect of rooftop PV on distribution transformers

Directional overcurrent: Explaining the underlying physics of directional protection

Reactive power compensation in electrical networks

APPLICATION: more >>

Addressing industrial power quality problems

UPS design with active series-parallel power-line conditioning

Battery energy storage technologies for off-grid and transport applications

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: more >>

Spray-on thin film photovoltaics: The next step forward?

Harnessing the potential of solar PV power safely and effectively

Techniques to maximise PV panel power output

Most Popular

BROWSER-BASED E-ZINES

BACK ISSUES

SERVICES

CARTOONS

EE Publishers

View articles for the past 30 days

View articles by Month

FEATURED ARTICLE

VIDEO

Most Popular

BROWSER-BASED E-ZINES

BACK ISSUES

SERVICES

CARTOONS