Eskom rebates on solar water heating systems

Eskom has announced that they will now pay up to a 25% rebate on the installation of approved solar water heating systems directly to the consumer. This is a change from Eskom’s initial Solar Water Heating Programme, introduced at the beginning of 2008, and brings it into line with international practice.

This initiative forms part of a drive by government for renewable energy to contribute 10 000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of final energy consumption by 2013. Solar water heating could contribute up to 23% of this target.

Installing solar water heating systems can reduce your heating bill by as much as 70%.

According to Eskom the rebate system is not in anyway exclusive. The requirements of a supplier to sell systems that qualify for rebates are the following:

• Be able to offer a 5 year guarantee
• Submit documents, including public liability and company details
• Have system tested AND passed at the SABS for the following;
  • Safety
  • Mechanical
  • Thermal

For more information read here…

Energy from Dirt

A company with a strong South African connection, Lebônê Solutions Inc, are commercialising a technology that has the prospect of providing energy to the poorest communities in the world. Lead by South African Hugo van Vuuren, who started the company with a group of fellow Harvard University students, Lebônê has developed a microbial fuel cell (MFC). Their cells are cheap to manufacture and require very little maintenance. They are ideal to power LED lights and charge cell phones.

MFC are devices that convert chemical energy into electrical energy by the catalytic reaction of microorganisms. The device taps the energy that microbes generate as they break down organic matter. Very basically you dig a hole in the ground, fill it with animal and plant waste and connect an anode and a cathode with a circuit board and you have power. Once all of the components are put into a solid container the owner has his or her own soil-based power generator.

In laboratory conditions, up to 1500 Watts per cubic meter of reactor has been produced but in field tests the generating capacity is currently only about 115 watts per cubic meter. Lebônê hopes the batteries will come down to a cost of $15 per battery.
In May 2008 Lebônê Solutions won a $200 000 IFC grant in to roll out pilot devices in Tanzania and Namibia.

To read more…

A New Era for Wave Energy

The renewable energy sector has received a boost with the inauguration of the world’s first commercial wave power project off the Portuguese coast. Developed by a Scottish engineering company, Pelamis Wave Power Limited, the Pelamis Wave Energy Converters (PWEC) have been towed into position three miles off the coast of Agucadoura in north Portugal.

The first phase of the project is using three PWEC to generate 2.25 megawatts of power at a cost of nine million euros. If successful, a second phase will see energy generation rise to 21 megawatts from a further 25 machines providing electricity for 15,000 Portuguese homes.

Named after the sea snake Pelamis, each machine measures 140 meters in length, is 3.5 meters wide and sits partially submerged in the sea. The PWEC are, of course, reliant on the weather. Depending on the wave resource, Pelamis predict that the machines will on average produce 25-40 percent of their full power output over the course of a year.

When the full array of 25 machines are in place it is calculated that around 60,000 tons of CO2 will be displaced.

Original article: Matthew Knight. CNN. 24 September 2008. Read more…

SA may have renewable feed-in tariff by March

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) hopes to finally approve the long-awaited renewable energy feed-in tariff (Refit), aimed at stimulating investment in the sector, on 9 March 2009.

Owing to the currently more expensive cost of generating electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and natural gas, feed-in tariffs are seen as a structure to stimulate large-scale investment in the renewable energy sector.

The Refit would not lower the cost of electricity for the customer, but would subsidise renewable energy generators. The tariff was expected to cover the cost of generation, plus a fair return for investors.

“The model calculates the subsidy amount as the difference between the feed-in tariff provided, and the avoided cost of power generation. This gives an indication of the additional costs to the consumer of the tariff programme,” indicated Nersa.

The model also allowed for the inclusion of carbon revenue through the Clean Development Mechanism.

The tariff schedule for 2008 to 2013 as setout in the consultation paper would be as follows:

wind power 65,48c/kWh in 2008, steadily decreasing by 2,45% a year to 57,84c/kWh in 2013;

hydro-power 73,76c/kWh in 2008, decreasing 0,57% a year to 71,69c/kWh in 2013;

landfill gas, 43,21c/kWh in 2008, decreasing 1,16% a year to 40,75c/kWh in 2013;

concentrating solar, 60,64c/kWh in 2008, lowered by 1% a year to 57,67c/kWh in 2013.

Eskom Distribution would be appointed the renewable energy purchasing agency, with the responsibility of the regulator limited to overall monitoring and review.

The NERSA proposal is not without its critics: WWF climate change programme manager Richard Worthington stated: “We have called on Nersa to reconsider their proposal and call for the tabling of an improved proposal, as soon as possible. We hope to see a stronger proposal that provides for an independent renewable energy purchasing agency, and a more cost responsive way of setting tariffs.”

Original article: Christy van der Merwe. Engineering News. 5 January 2009. Read more…

Earthlife Africa has come out to say that while they support the principle behind REFIT, they have some concerns about the actual policy. They set forth 10 reccomendation on how to improve the draft policy.

You can read more here.

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