Solar Energy Africa: Conference Program 2011

Solar Energy Africa

19 – 21 September 2011

Conference Program Day 1

Monday 19 September 2011

Opening/Keynote session – Building Africa’s untapped energy resources
Chairman: Nandha Govender, Senior Manager: Environment, Eskom, South Africa

09h00 – 10h30

Ministerial opening plenary discussion: unlocking Africa’s generation capacity
Mokgadi Mathekgana, Chief Director: Clean Energy, Department of Energy, South Africa

10h30 – 11h15

Diversification of the energy mix and prospects for cross-border power trading to secure energy for Africa’s future
Joseph Magochi, Energy Systems Specialist, East African Power Pool, Ethiopia

11h15 – 11h30

Questions and answers

Building a solar industry in Africa – international lessons
Chairman: Bianka Belinksa, Head of Department Infrastructure Planning, National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), South Africa

14h00 – 14h30

Analysing the learning curves in Spanish solar projects implementation and how they overcame start-up challenges
Daniel Blanco, Renewable & Alternative Energy Manager, Endesa, Spain*

Presentation not yet available. Contact Kim Jansen for further queries. 

14h30 – 15h00

Reviewing the South African solar energy market in comparison to the global solar sector
Nelisiwe Magubane, Director General, Department of Energy, South Africa

Financing of and Investment in solar energy projects in Africa – creating an investment friendly environment for solar
Chairman: Barry Bredenkamp, Senior Manager Energy Policy and Planning, South African National Energy Research Institute, South Africa

15h30 – 16h30

AFRICA UPDATE HOUR: Opportunities and new projects in Africa

Analysing how Kenya instituted its REFIT and investigating future solar plans
David Mwangi, Energy Consultant, Kenya

16h30 – 17h00

Alternate financing mechanisms for solar projects – Various financing mechanisms for solar projects including feed in tariffs and renewable energy
certificates
Netra Walawalker, Senior Analyst, Customized Energy Solution, India

Conference Program Day 2

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Solar power technologies to build a strong solar industry
Chairman: Pumeza Tshangela, Business Development Manager, Schneider –Electric, South Africa

09h00 – 09h30

Financing & mitigation in developing large PV power plants in South Africa
Arnaud Allix, Regional Solution Developer, PEC-Solar Systems & Renewable, Schneider-Electric, France

09h30 – 10h00

Analysing the methods of connecting solar energy on the grid and how solar energy will be regulated
Ronald Chauke, Head of Department Electric Regulatory Reform National Energy Regulator South Africa, NERSA, South Africa

10h00 – 10h30

Energy storage – technologies to improve storage facilities for solar
Mkhulu Mathe, Energy & Processes Manager, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa

Innovative solar solutions
Chairman: Moses Duma, Senior Advisor, Strategic Planning, Eskom, South Africa

11h30 – 12h00

Solar Water Heating System Campaign Plan –- how to implement the technology in an ignorant and price sensitive market

• Grantham Daniels, Manager: Electrotechnical Standards, South African Bureau of Standards, South Africa
• Karel Deist, Head of Laboratory: Technical Specialist Water Meters and Solar Laboratory, South African Bureau of Standards, South Africa

Closing session: Creating an integrated SMART solution with solar for a new SMART CITY

14h00 – 15h30

Looking at some of Africa’s Smart City strategies – how they rate solar in their strategies
Chairman: Silas Zimu, Former Managing Director City Power Johannesburg, South Africa

Panellists:

• Barry Bredenkamp, Senior Manager Energy Policy and Planning, South African
• National Energy Research Institute, South Africa
• Vincenzo Bellini, General Manager: Business Development – Southen Africa,
• Germany
• Dr Rahul Walawalkar, Vice President: Emerging Technologies & Markets,
• Customized Energy Solutions, India
• Karel Deist, Head of Laboratory: Technical Specialist, Water Meters and Solar
• Laboratory, South African Bureau of Standards, South Africa
• Nkanyiso Msobi, Acting Director, Engineering Services, City Power, South Africa
• David Mwangi, Energy Consultant, Kenya

Post-event Workshops

Wednesday 21 September 2011

09h00 – 12h00

Embracing the Economic rationale for Large Scale Solar Plants and Energy Storage
Workshop will discuss various factors that influence the economic viability of the project including:

• Technology selection (including capital cost, efficiency, life expectancy, O&M costs etc.)
• Selection of appropriate location for maximizing profitability
• Transmission interconnection issues
• Market based revenues (including locational energy prices, ancillary services (such as frequency regulation, synchronous and non-synch reserves, voltage support), capacity credit)
• Environmental credits (RECs, emission certificates etc.)

Dr Rahul Walawalkar, Vice President: Emerging Technologies & Markets, Customized Energy Solutions, India

Presentation not yet available. Contact Kim Jansen for further queries.