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Eskom keen to cut coal dependency

Nov 242010

Eskom plans to reduce its dependency on coal over the next 20 years, says the chief executive at the power utility, Brian Dames.

He said the utility was planning to build five gigawatts of “cleaner coal” generation capacity after 2025, Business Report reported on Wednesday.

At present about 90% of Eskom’s electricity is generated through coal.

Dames said the government’s Integrated Resource Plan would bring coal’s share of generation down from 86% to below 50% over the next 20 years as the energy mix would be diversified to include nuclear, wind, solar, biomass and other sources.

“Eskom aspires to lead South Africa’s nuclear programme, in partnership, and to play a lead role in solar power,” said Dames who was speaking in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Coal reduction was among the goals Eskom had set for itself as part of its new strategic direction.

It also plans to invest in more opportunities in southern Africa where there are potentially 200 million customers.

“Over the next few months, we will have a detailed business plan for the region. There are a lot of exciting opportunities in the region that we don’t have,” Dames said.

Opportunities had been identified in countries such as Botswana and Namibia and a business plan would be presented to the board in February.

He said the firm planned to build transmission networks and have the private sector handle the generation side.

Source – Timeslive.co.za

Global Warming Reduces Available Wind Energy

renewable energy 4 Responses »

Nov 122010

A switch to wind energy will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions – and reduce the global warming they cause. But there’s a catch, says climate researcher Diandong Ren, a research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin in a paper appear in the AIP’s Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy: rising temperatures decrease wind speeds, making for less power bang for the wind turbine buck.

The prevailing winds in the “free” atmosphere about 1,000 meters above the ground are maintained by a temperature gradient that decreases toward the poles. “For example, Wichita, Kansas is cooler, in general, than Austin, Texas,” Ren says. “The stronger the temperature contrast, the stronger the wind.”

But as the climate changes and global temperatures rise, the temperature contrast between the lower latitudes and the poles decreases slightly, because polar regions tend to warm up faster. And as that temperature contrast becomes weaker, so too do the winds.

Wind turbines are powered by winds at lower altitudes – about 100 meters above the ground – where, Ren says, “frictional effects from local topography and landscapes further influence wind speed and direction. In

“my study, I assume that these effects are constant – like a constant filter – so wind speed changes in the free atmosphere are representative of that in the frictional layer.”

Ren calculates that a 2-4 degree Celsius increase in temperatures in Earth’s mid to high-latitudes would result in a 4-12 percent decrease in wind speeds in certain high northern latitudes.

This means, he says, that with “everything else being the same, we need to invest in more wind turbines to gain the same amount of energy. Wind energy will still be plentiful and wind energy still profitable, but we need to tap the energy source earlier” – before there is less to tap.

The article, “Effects of global warming on wind energy availability” by Diandong Ren appears in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy.

Source – winddaily.com

Logitech Introduces Solar-Powered Keyboard

renewable energy No Responses »

Nov 052010

Logitech's first solar keyboard can be powered by indoor light and stays charged for at least three months in total darkness. Plus an integrated power-indicator light eliminates surprises.

Logitech has introduced the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 – the company’s first light-powered keyboard. The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard powers itself whenever there’s light, even indoors, making battery hassles a thing of the past.

“The keyboard is still the best input device for typing emails and IMs, updating your Facebook page or posting responses to your favorite blogs – and the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is the next big innovation in keyboard technology,” said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech’s keyboards and desktops.

“The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard is powered by light but can work in total darkness for up to three months. Plus, with its PVC-free construction and fully recyclable packaging, it’s designed to minimize its footprint.”

Powered by Light – Even Indoors
To give you hassle-free convenience, the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard powers itself through its integrated solar panel – no power bricks or charging cables needed.

The included solar power app (available for download beginning Nov. 15, 2010 at www.logitech.com/k750.solarapp) features a lux meter to help you get the necessary light, makes it easy to get at-a-glance information about battery levels, and even alerts you when you need more power.

Logitech’s first solar keyboard can be powered by indoor light and stays charged for at least three months in total darkness. Plus an integrated power-indicator light eliminates surprises.

Only 1/3-Inch Thick
But Logitech did much more than bring solar power to the keyboard.

At only 1/3-inch thick, the sleek Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard looks good. With its rounded edges and thin profile, this stylish, streamlined keyboard is a joy to hold and behold.

Feel-Good Typing
The low-profile keyboard features Logitech Incurve keys. Using a concave design, Incurve keys support the shape of your fingertips, while helping guide your fingers to the right keys. In addition, the soft, rounded edges make it easy for your fingers to glide from key to key.

Powerful, Reliable Wireless Connection with Logitech Unifying Technology

The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 offers Logitech Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, keeping you connected with virtually no delays or dropouts, so you get all the benefits of a cord, with the convenience of wireless. Logitech Advanced 2.4 wireless also includes 128-bit AES encryption with the keyboard – one of the highest levels of security available.

Plus, the tiny Logitech Unifying receiver is small enough to stay in your laptop, so there’s no need to unplug it when you move around. And you can easily add up to six Logitech Unifying and Unifying-ready mice and keyboards – without the hassle of multiple USB receivers.

Source – Solardaily.com

solar hot water in the Garden Route

Solar Water heating 4 Responses »

Oct 252010

There are many options available when it comes to choosing the right Solar water heating system (solar geyser). We have all these options and the expertise to present the facts to you. You can obviously choose, but we will make a recommendation on what we think will be best for you. Here are some of the choices….

We have 2 technologies available – flat plate technology and evacuated tube technology. They both have their merits and we can advise on which one is right for you. We have a number of systems available in each different technology.
We also have a choice in systems of “thermosyphen” (a natural process where hot water rises) or “pumped systems”. We help you on this choice depending on whether you want to see the solar geyser on your roof or not, also taking into account the shape of your roof and the space you have in your ceiling.
In some cases we can make use of your existing geyser (we call this a retrofit), but we try to find a solution that provides the right amount of hot water depending on your needs. There are different sizes of solar geysers and this influences the prices.
We also are able to offer you a choice of suppliers in some provinces. At the end of the day though, its all about getting you the right solution.

Water and Solar is a registered partner to YES Solar in the Western Cape Area. We are thus able to advise our customers on the best possible way to save both water and electricity by offering a holistic package when it comes to ‘greening’ your home. Contact us today for some solid water and energy saving solutions.

Google blows into offshore wind project

renewable energy No Responses »

Oct 202010

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

Google has agreed to invest, along with other partners, in a massive offshore wind power project along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region.

The Atlantic Wind Connection “backbone” deep-water cable transmission project, led by Trans-Elect, is expected to provide approximately 6,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity, enough power to serve 1.9 million households, when fully complete.

Other investors include Good Energies, a global investor in renewable energy, and Japan’s Marubeni Corp.

Instead of requiring multiple connections, the transmission line will serve as a “superhighway with on-ramps for wind farms,” said Rick Needham, director of green business operations at Google, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. It will link to land at four locations: North Jersey, South Jersey near Atlantic City, the coast of Delaware and the coast of Virginia south of Norfolk.

The transmission line would run about 15 to 20 miles offshore. That’s up to 17 miles further out than the controversial Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts, which has encountered fierce local opposition on aesthetic and environmental grounds.

AWC developers say that the turbines — with 295-foot hubs and 197-foot blade lengths — would barely be visible from beaches and residences, National Geographic News reports.

The system could also be expanded to accommodate additional offshore wind energy as the industry further develops.

AWC would involve high-voltage direct current instead of the high-voltage alternating current typical of most wind farms. Trans-Elect says HVDC cables are cheaper, have lower energy loss and use less copper than HVAC cables.

“The AWC backbone will both relieve transmission congestion in one of the nation’s most restricted power markets as well as enable the development of a huge offshore wind capacity that can bring stability and security to the Eastern Power Grid,” John Breckenridge, managing director at Good Energies, said in a news release.

Construction of the project is expected to begin in 2013, after the necessary permits are obtained and completion of an environmental review process.

“This can dramatically accelerate development of renewable energy,” Needham said. “This is in line with our commitment to a clean energy future, where we believe that being good environmental stewards makes good business sense.”

In May, Google made its first direct investment in clean energy, when it bought a $38.8 million stake in two North Dakota wind farms.

Pointing out that AWC is still in its early stages, Needham said “we’re willing to take calculated risks on large-scale projects that can move an industry.”

Google is to provide 37.5 percent of the equity for the initial development. While none of the investors would provide dollar amounts, The New York Times reported that Google’s initial investment in the project would be $200 million.

Source – Winddaily.com

Wind could provide 20 pct of world power by 2030: study

renewable energy No Responses »

Oct 142010

Wind power could meet about a fifth of the world’s electricity demand within 20 years, an industry group and environmental watchdog Greenpeace predicted in a new report released Tuesday.

The global market for wind power grew 41.7 percent on year in 2009, beating average annual growth of 28.6 percent over the past 13 years, said Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council, or GWEC.

China ranked second in the world in installed wind generating capacity in 2009 and was the largest buyer of wind technology, Sawyer told reporters at the launch of GWEC and Greenpeace’s Global Wind Energy Outlook 2010 report.

“We would expect China to continue to be the largest market and perhaps even be the (overall) largest market in the world by the end of this year,” he said.

The report’s “advanced scenario” — its most optimistic outlook — projects the world’s combined installed wind turbines would produce 2,600 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity by 2020 — equal to 11.5 to 12.3 percent of power demand.

By 2030, wind energy would produce 5,400 TWh — 18.8 to 21.8 percent of the world’s power supply, the report said.

The more conservative “reference” scenario based on figures from the UN’s International Energy Agency saw wind power triple in the next decade to cover up to 4.8 percent of electricity — equal to Europe’s current total production.

The “moderate” scenario based on current industry figures would see wind power meet up to 9.5 percent of the world’s power demand by 2020, the report said.

“For more than the last 10 years, the actual performance of the wind industry has exceeded our advanced scenario every time,” said Sawyer.

Under the advanced forecast, 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions would be saved each year, the report said.

This would increase to 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 saved each year by 2030.

The cumulative amounts of CO2 saved would be 10 billion tonnes by 2020 and 34 billion tonnes by 2030, the report said.

When asked to compare China’s wind power industry to the US, Sawyer said Beijing was showing more leadership than Washington in alternative energy.

“At the moment, the Chinese market has most of the advantages in the sense that there’s a clear and supportive policy framework and very clear government support for developing a domestic industry,” Sawyer said.

“Neither of those have really been the case in the United States.”

Source – www.winddaily.com

Bay engineers plan Eskom-free living - Wind turbines and Solar systems

renewable energy 2 Responses »

Sep 212010

IMAGINE Nelson Mandela Bay filled with small, silent wind turbines and solar systems – and no more reliance on Eskom.

That is the vision of a pair of Port Elizabeth engineers who have designed a “hybrid inverter”, the Renovo Power Solution, which they say could save consumers millions at the same time as saving the world.

Wiegand von Hasseln and Trevor van Onselen have launched a series of public seminars to publicise their invention which they say is “the first energy system mix, manufactured and available for the open market, of its kind in South Africa”.

It is also the cheapest, they say, because the price of R2279 a month, paid off over five years, for their 1kW system, matches the cheapest wind turbine so far produced – and they are adding a photo-voltaic solar panel component. And from that price you can also, each month, subtract your current electricity bill. Continue reading »

Eskom keen to cut coal dependency

Eskom plans to reduce its dependency on coal over the next 20 years, says the chief executive at the power utility, Brian Dames.

Global Warming Reduces Available Wind Energy

Logitech Introduces Solar-Powered Keyboard

solar hot water in the Garden Route

Google blows into offshore wind project

Wind could provide 20 pct of world power by 2030: study

Bay engineers plan Eskom-free living - Wind turbines and Solar systems

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Eskom keen to cut coal dependency

Eskom plans to reduce its dependency on coal over the next 20 years, says the chief executive at the power utility, Brian Dames.

Global Warming Reduces Available Wind Energy

Logitech Introduces Solar-Powered Keyboard

solar hot water in the Garden Route

Google blows into offshore wind project

Wind could provide 20 pct of world power by 2030: study

Bay engineers plan Eskom-free living - Wind turbines and Solar systems

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