News
2019 in review: Customer insights for African mini-grid developers
Highlights into the advances in technology and business models that make mini-grids the least-cost route towards electrifying up to half a billion people.
Smart Grids
LPWA networks: Supporting the next wave of smart metering
As the IoT evolves, many new communication options will become available to utilities, many of them LPWA networks, writes Chris Strauss, research engineer at Conlog.
Finance and Policy
Rand volatility: Routes to manage energy sector participants’ exposure
The South African economy has been severely disrupted and seen large contractions in its GDP due to the lockdown with knock-on effect on the Rand.
Generation
Geothermal power plants can also come in small sizes
With the introduction of Geoportable, Toshiba ESS has made it possible to construct a small-scale geothermal plant on as little as 250 square metres.
Renewable energy
Generating reliable, affordable and flexible energy across Africa
Africa’s fastest growing population requires the establishment of reliable, affordable and flexible energy systems, Siyabonga Mbanjwa, Managing Director of SENER Southern Africa.
Solar
The challenge: Financing utility-scale solar PV using bifacial technology
Bifacial solar technology results in an overall increase in energy generation of the asset, but also calls for unique financing writes UL.
Smart Grids
‘Prosumers’ have the potential to shift and disrupt the energy landscape
Prosumers could be manufacturers, businesses, or groups of consumers that have the potential to cause a shift in the structure of the energy industry.
Research and Development
Electric pressure cookers and microgrids can solve biomass cooking challenge
Six villages in Tanzania participate in an important research project on the use of electric pressure cookers to overcome the challenges of biomass cooking.
Smart Technologies
HOMER Grid users can now design custom microgrid control strategies
HOMER Energy by UL gives users the ability to evaluate how changes in operation impact the cost of operating hybrid energy systems.
Future Energy
HOMER Grid Software now models electric vehicle charging stations
A recent software update can now model how hybrid systems power electric vehicle charging stations and design RE and storage systems.
