Africa faces a huge electricity demand challenge. Existing infrastructure is insufficient to meet current requirements, let alone the growth of the coming decades. Installed power capacity is expected to rise from 2012’s 90 GW to 380 GW in 2040 in sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless millions of Africans remain without access to electricity. Fortunately, difficulties such as […]
As part of a worldwide effort to keep global temperatures from rising, sector-specific solutions are being developed which offer low-carbon solutions. The building sector offers opportunities for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and job creation across the globe. Since buildings burn 40% of all the energy consumed, designing buildings or retrofitting existing ones could help meet the climate […]
Several industrial HVAC requirements differ from commercial building requirements and are not often considered in terms of energy efficiency. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is a major energy consumer in commercial buildings and energy efficiency measures have been developed in this field. Industrial premises have special requirements which are more complex than commercial […]
Mining operations require reliable power on 24/7 basis, whether at remote locations or in developed areas. Load shedding and poor quality power/weak grids are leading to mines considering alternative sources of electric energy, even in developed areas. This article summarises topics discussed at a recent summit on mining and renewable energy held in Johannesburg. […]
In the previous series of articles about the economics of fracking (Energize, August and September 2014), several challenges and implications of exploiting shale oil and gas deposits were outlined. Just one was that using natural gas for power generation in Europe has become uneconomic relative to coal. This developed after American producers began exporting […]
As an energy manager, an energy measurement and verification professional I have been involved in the energy field for more than 20 years. I am therefore very conscious of the need for energy efficiency, and to limit the impact on the environment. I am however not an expert in any specific field regarding the […]
Kepler Energy is planning a 30 MW tidal energy fence which will be located in the Bristol channel. The tidal energy technology, similar to a water mill and which will use the very latest carbon composite technology, has been developed by Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science for deployment in shallower, lower velocity tidal waters. […]
Africa’s share of global oil production has dropped marginally since last year, moving from 10,1% to 9,6% of the world’s total. Untapped proven oil reserves on the continent are estimated to be around 8% of the global total, which is nearly the same as the previous year, and these reserves are projected to increase […]
The International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC), a global platform for the advancement of renewable energy, is coming to South Africa. Hosted by the Department of Energy (DOE) in conjunction with the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), the South African International Renewable Energy […]
Delta Energy and Communications, an innovator in the management of energy-related data, will open an office in Cape Town in the next eight weeks. Scott Foster, the company’s founder and CEO, says that from this office, his company will offer valuable solutions to the continent and assist in extending reliable electrical supply to the […]
