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Renewable Energy Resource and Research Base in South Africa

Technological Innovations for a Low Carbon Society 9 October 2012

Pretoria

Prof JL (Wikus) van Niekerk Director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable

Energy Studies, Stellenbosch University


Contents

• Background

• National Hub and Spokes in Renewable Energy

• Ocean Energy

• Bio-Energy

• Hydro Energy

• Wind Energy

• Solar Energy

• Conclusions


Background • Postgraduate Program in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies:

The primary objective of the national Postgraduate Programme in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University is to train scientists and engineers. These professionals will have the required technical expertise to unlock the country’s renewable energy resources by implementing appropriate technology for sustainable energy utilisation.

• Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies:

The Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies was established at Stellenbosch University to execute the contract with the DST and to act as a facilitating agency to stimulate activities in renewable energy research and study at Stellenbosch University. Various postgraduate degree programmes in renewable and sustainable energy studies are being offered; both coursework and research masters, as well as doctoral degrees.


Hub and Spoke Model • Hub: Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, Stellenbosch

– Coursework diploma and masters degree programmes

– Research masters and doctoral programmes

– Technology transfer and coordinating role

– National flagship projects

• Solar Thermal Energy Spoke: – Based at Stellenbosch, in cooperation with University of Pretoria and UKZN

– Focuses on concentrating solar power (CSP), high temperature

• Spoke in Photovoltaic Systems: – Shared between NMMU (Port Elizabeth) and University of Fort Hare

– Focuses on photovoltaic systems, Si and thin film, cell and module characterisation

• Spoke in Wind Energy: – Shared between Stellenbosch and University of Cape Town

– Focuses on smaller scale wind turbines (< 50 kW)

– Variety of aspects including generators, condition monitoring, etc.


Research Focus Areas at Stellenbosch

• Solar Thermal Energy (Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering) • Thermal Energy Storage • Dry-Air Cooling • Heliostats Design and Optimisation • Power Station Performance Characteristics and Modeling

• Wind Energy (Electrical & Electronic Engineering) • Wind Turbine Generators, Permanent Magnet, Direct-Drive, < 100 kW • Power Electronics and Grid Integration • Magnetic Gearboxes

• Ocean Energy (Mechanical & Mechatronic, and Civil Engineering) • Wave Energy Resource • Wave Energy Converters • Ocean Current Devices

• Bio-Fuels (Microbiology, and Process Engineering • Second Generation Conversion of Ligno-Cellulose to Bio-Ethanol • Thermal Conversion of Biomass, e.g. Pyrolysis and Gassification • Bio-Diesel Characterisation


National Flagship Projects

• South African Wind Energy Training Centre (SAWETC) • No training of technicians, operators and artisans to operate and maintain wind

farms currently available in SA, therefore need for a training facility • Training, education, research and development centre • Partners: WCPG (GreenCape), CPUT, NMMU, FET colleges, Eskom, national

government departments, especially DEHT (and perhaps DST and DoE) • New facility will be built on campus of CPUT’s Bellville campus

• Southern African Solar Resource Map and Database • Required for both CSP and PV deployment • Not many solar irradiation measurement stations available at present • Central location to house data, expertise and fulfill a national coordination role • Partners: Eskom, CSIR, GeoModel Solar, DLR, DoE, DST, CSIR

• Solar Centre of Competence and CSP Pilot Plant • International facility to do research and development, similar to PSA • 5 MWe CSP demonstration and test facility • Partners: DST, CSIR, Sasol, Eskom, TIA


Ocean Energy Resource

Agulhas Ocean current 1.5-2m/s


Ocean Energy Research – SWEC (Stellenbosch Wave Energy Converter)

– ShoreSWEC

– Linear Generators (Stellenbosch & WITS)

– Resource Measurement (Eskom, CSIR, MCM)


Bio-Energy Resource


Hydro Energy • Existing: Hydroelectric power stations at Gariep (360 MW)

and Vanderkloof (240 MW)

Caharo Bassa in Mozambique (2 000 MW)

Kunene river in Namibia/Angola

• Energy Storage: Steenbras (180 MW), Palmiet (400 MW) and

Drakensberg (1 000 MW)

New Ingula (1 333 MW) and Project Lima (on hold)

• Micro and Small Hydro: Small installations, < 100 kW

Run-of-river systems

Small Hydro, e.g. Bethlehem Hydro, 7 MW

• Future: Inga in the DRC, Grand Inga 40 GW (Eskom’s current

installed capacity)


Wind Energy Resource


Wind Energy Research and Projects – Eskom: Klipheuwel Wind Energy

Demonstration Facility – Darling Wind Farm – Stellenbosch University

• Smaller, direct drive generators • Magnetic gearboxes

– University of Cape Town • Grid-integration • Condition monitoring • Energy storage

– NMMU • Vertical axis wind turbines

– NWU • Composite blades


Solar Energy Resource (DNI)

Spain USA South Africa


Solar Energy Resource (CSP Projects)


Solar Energy Projects (PV)


Solar Energy Research – Solar Thermal Energy Research, High Temperature

• Stellenbosch University (STERG) • University of KwaZulu/Natal • University of Pretoria • University of North West

– Solar Thermal Energy Research, Low Temperature (SWHs) • Tshwane University of Technology • Stellenbosch University • NMMU (Port Elizabeth) • Durban University of Technology

– Photovoltaic Systems • NMMU (Port Elizabeth) • University of Fort Hare • University of Cape Town • WITS

Fakulteit Ingenieurswese

Faculty of Engineering

Solar Thermal Energy Research at South

African institutions

Paul Gauché

9 October 2012

South African Solar Thermal R&D

18

Institution Activities Group status

CSIR Primary: Solar thermal & biofuels hybrid off/mini

grid technology development

Other: Ad-hoc

Housed in defence division – no

renewable energy group at this

time. Other divisions also

touching RE topics

Stellenbosch U Primary: Linear line and point focus

systems/plants/components & solar resource

Other: SWH, Fossil augmentation, Dish-Stirling

Formal dedicated group

U Pretoria Primary: Heat transfer in heat exchangers and

pipes & micro turbine dish

Other: Industrialization and roadmap

Energy research group activity

School for Technology &

Engineering Management

UKZN Primary: Radiometry (solar resource) & collectors

(heliostats and other concentrators)

Sustainable Energy Research

Group

Sasol Confidential Active

Eskom 100 MWe Upington CSP plant Active

Others (Status

unknown or less

active)

NWU: Skills from nuclear transferable & Ad-hoc | UCT: Climate-change and policy

oriented | UJ: Ad-hoc postgrad R&D | TUT: SWH | Wits: Ad-hoc

Solar Thermal Spoke: Research Areas*

Component SUNSPOT (a superset

tower concept)

Linear Fresnel reflector

CSP

Small scale (Eg. Dish)

Technology

readiness/Scenario modeling

Applicable to all – requires macro technology and industrialization research.

Measurement and modeling

of solar resource

Applicable to all (an orthogonal research area)

System modeling & Design Detailed at every level incl.

power blocks and storage

etc.

System analysis for various

uses incl. design.

Ad hoc. Depending on need

Solar collectors Primary focus incl. high

temperature receiver &

design and optimization of

heliostats.

Improvement over current

state of art

Ad hoc.

Thermal energy storage Various novel concepts

developed and existing types

improved

Ad hoc. NA

Condenser cooling Primary application: Dry and

wet cooling optimization

Ad hoc. NA

Heat exchangers Applicable to point and line focus plants of these types NA

Optimization Applicable to all but ad hoc.

High Medium Low NA

* Solar thermal spoke 2013-2017 strategic plan

SUNSPOT – primary technology

20

11+ Projects from distribution to system to

components focused on SUNSPOT

STERG overview

21

STERG – Solar Thermal Energy Research Group

45+ members from/at SU, Wits, UCT, UKZN, CSIR, NWU, NMMU, Germany…

Only formal CSP/Solar thermal research group at a SA university

System R&D

Systems analysis | Plant thermodynamic models |

Techno-economic analysis | Plant concepts & design

Dry Cooling

Dry | Hybrid |

Diurnal etc

Thermal

Storage

Salt | Rock | Metal

PCM

Heliostats &

Receivers

Control | Drives |

Optics | Field

Solar Resource

R&D

Satellite | Ground

SUNSTEL (SU Solar Thermal Electricity Project)

(Primary technologies: SUNSPOT, LFR) Other

Better SWH |

Coal power

augmentation

Italics: On-going R&D

STERG infrastructure & resources

• Staff: 5 (coordination, administrative, engineering and

technical support)

• 1,000 m2 solar roof laboratory, staff office, workshop &

control room

• 18 m lattice tower (multi-use)

• 600 °C,1.5 m3 packed bed storage rig & 1,200 °C kiln

• Solar resource station with free web download (K&Z full

tracker and shadow ring)

• R400,000 Solar water heating test facility

• 25 kWe Eskom McDonnel Douglas Stirling Dish

• Key SW: TRNSYS, Matlab, Flownex, Fluent & open source.

• Primary Grants: DST/NRF solar thermal spoke, Sasol Sr

Researcher, Eskom Chair, SU Hope project, NRF THRIP.

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PHOTOVOLTAIC RESEARCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

Prof Ernest van Dyk 9 October 2012

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Research Activities PV cell, module and systems characterization. Technologies

studied:

• Crystalline Si.

• Thin film:

• Dye-sensitized solar cells,

• CIS based, and

• amorphous Si.

• Multi-junction III-V.

Dye-sensitized solar cell synthesis.

Fluorescent material applications for

PV devices.

Organic solar cell material synthesis.

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Research Activities Device parameter extraction.

Light Beam Induced Current (LBIC)

measurements (laser and solar

radiation as probe beam).

Electroluminescence and infrared imaging.

Spectral response characterization.

Concentrator PV (CPV) development.

PV systems research:

• Solar home systems.

• Grid-integrated PV arrays and PV power plants.

• Building integrated PV (BIPV).

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IR Thermal Image

Electroluminescence

Universities involved in PV research

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Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Department of

Physics / Centre for Energy Research (PV Spoke).

University of Fort Hare, Fort Hare Institute of Technology (PV

Spoke).

University of KwaZulu Natal, Department of Physics.

University of Free State, Department of Physics.

University of the Witwatersrand, Department of Chemistry.

PV Spoke Objectives Produce graduates skilled in the energy field and to perform strategic and

competitive research.

Promote empowerment of previously disadvantaged groups in the context

of energy research.

Engage in multi-disciplinary research between Science, Engineering,

Economics and Environmental Sciences.

Collaborate with local and international industries, research institutes and

universities engaging in energy related research and development

activities.

Promote public awareness and understanding of all forms of energy,

energy efficiency, and the importance of energy.

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NMMU Outdoor Solar Testing Facilities


Conclusions – South Africa has excellent renewable energy (RE)

resources, especially wind, ocean and in particular solar

– There are many small, but very active and growing research groups in RE in SA

– Funding for RE research from SA Government is limited and not in line with other research areas of the same or lesser importance

– Active collaboration with international partners, especially in Germany (GIZ, DLR, Fraunhofer-ISE, University of Stuttgart, etc)


Questions ? 21-23 May 2012, Protea Hotel, TechnoPark,

Stellenbosch, South Africa

www.sasec.org.za [email protected] www.crses.sun.ac.za

http://www.cmc.uct.ac.za/

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