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  • VIEWS & OPINION: more >>

  • GENERATION: more >>

    • Using energy storage to defer infrastructure investment

      by TM Bengani and JA Kombe, Eskom

      Electricity utilities are faced with a number of challenges relating to network infrastructure expansion. The common challenges are funding constraints, inability to obtain servitudes/right of way (ROW) in time, demand growth uncertainty and life extension of existing infrastructure. Energy storage systems (ESS) represent opportunities to reschedule large investment in the network infrastructure. ESS can absorb […]

    • Plant life extension and refurbishment can add flexibility

      by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers

      The question of what to do with ageing coal-fired thermal power plants is a common one in the electricity industry. One cannot simply abandon the site or close down a facility which has much of its operational aspects intact. The solution often chosen is short-term life extension by refurbishment. This often provides the opportunity to extend the […]

    • Energy storage: From materials to systems

      by MK Mathe, F Nkosi, N Xaba, J Ren, K Raju, N Musyoka, N Palaniyandy, H Luo, A Swartbooi, M Kebede, L Le Roux, MR Modibedi and H Langmi, CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing, Pretoria, South Africa

      In its pursuit for new materials for energy storage and conversion, the CSIR’s  manganese (Mn) based battery cathode materials research is vital. The conversion interest is through the platinum group metals (PGM) and platinum free fuel cell catalysis work, while experiments in hydrogen storage are being conducted in the metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and high […]

  • TRANSMISSION & DISTRIBUTION: more>>

    • Online transformer condition monitoring minimises revenue losses

      by Senja Leivo, Senior Industry Expert, Vaisala

      Nothing is more frustrating for a power producer than not being able to get their product to market. Curtailment and losses due to reduced demand or technology-enforced downtime both mean energy is wasted and revenue thrown delivering an instant blow to the bottom line. In response to the problem of curtailment, the market has various […]

    • Transformer protection in MV systems

      by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers

      The choices involved in the protection of MV transformers are often dictated by established standards and practices, or policy based on technical and economic considerations. Established design practices can be made obsolete by the development of new transformer technologies, new protection devices, and new applications, and choices must be made based  on transformer technology, the […]

    • Lidar versus photogrammetry for drone applications

      by Norbert Plate, iQ Laser

      Drone-based photogrammetry has had a great influence on surveying, but it has its shortfalls when it comes to vegetation, shadows and changing light conditions. This is where drone-based lidar steps in. With the arrival of drones equipped with capable colour (RGB) cameras into the surveying world, modern photogrammetry quickly became a safe and cost-effective method […]

  • APPLICATION: more >>

    • The hidden energy cost of information and communication technology

      by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers

      Network connectivity is rapidly spreading across all types of devices and is seen as a key advance towards more sustainable energy supply and use. Each connections consumes power when in “standby” mode, and the resultant non-productive load can become considerable. The IEA’s More data, less energy document proposes means of reducing this “idle” load.  This article […]

    • Parking and charging management for electromobility

      by Thorsten Temme, Phoenix Contact

      Sustainability implemented with consistency. This was the idea behind Germany’s largest electric filling station, which has been constructed at Bechtle’s headquarters in Neckarsulm. The challenge was to integrate 50 charging points into a parking garage with specific structural conditions and to supply it with power from the PV system on the roof. More and more […]

    • Medium voltage industrial variable speed drives

      by Joable Andrade Alves, Gilberto da Cunha and Paulo Torri, Zest WEG

      This article considers the technologies and topologies of MV drives, their advantages disadvantages, and their impact on the quality of energy on the mains and motor sides. Advancements in semiconductor devices such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) allow medium voltage (MV) drives to be used increasingly to conserve energy, increase productivity and improve product […]

  • SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: more >>

    • Revolutionary wind power technology launched

      by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers

      The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria launched a revolutionary vertical axis wind turbine recently. Although still in the early stages of prototype development, the wind turbine has already been subjected to comprehensive scrutiny and has passed feasibility trials at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch, and wind tunnel […]

    • Waste-to-energy saves money and boosts production

      by Roger Lilley, EE Publishers

      How can a large industrial complex convert something it is discarding into something of value? Or what technology can such a complex use to reduce energy costs and boost output? Glencore’s ferrochrome smelting plant found the answer to lie in the use of the waste gas produced during the smelting process to generate electricity. The […]

    • A new era of solar power

      Information from ABB

      The growth in demand for clean energy has reached unprecedented levels, and at a rate underestimated by many governments. Solar energy is the dynamic driver of this growth and decisions made now about how to tackle challenges and sustain innovation will shape the future success of the industry and the communities and nations that rely upon […]