With the costs of fuel rising to ever-depressing heights, the time is right for an alternative option. Luckily, Tata Motors is ready to introduce MiniCAT, the car which runs on compressed air!
Three of the five top wind power companies in the world, Goldwind, Suzlon and Vestas, will have a high profile at the upcoming African Utility Week in what is clearly a huge surge in interest in foreign investment in green energy in South Africa and the continent. The South African minister of Energy, Elisabeth Dipuo Peters, and Eskom CEO Brain Dames will address the opening session of what is Africa's largest utility and power event.
On June 11th 2010, as the world witnesses the first ever 2010 FIFA World Cup kick-off in Soweto, 120 kilometres away, Greenpeace Africa and residents of Jericho village Brits, will also join in the celebrations as they watch the matches at the Solar Public Viewing Area. Youth, joined by their parents and other community elders will gather at the Jericho Community Hall at 8:30 that evening to watch games that have been powered by solar energy.
Finding alternative energy solutions is everyone's dilemma . We are expecting significant black-outs after or even during the World Cup and of course the government's rebates on solar geysers have become really attractive now. We know this will make a significant difference to our carbon footprints, so what more are we waiting for?
Being energy smart requires that no decisions are taken in isolation. We need to look at the nature of our daily life (private and/or business), how we use technology, which habits need to change, how much change is needed, and how easy/complicated these might be. Firstly consider existing business strategies and operations. They need to be supported by the energy efficiency interventions.
Energy can never be destroyed ' it can only be changed from one form to another. Why then do we believe that waste is the end of the line? 'How people have disposed of their excrement over the ages makes a fascinating story. Today what characterises a first-world culture is flush toilets. They remove germs, and with that much of the burden of disease and poverty.' So says Marisa Naude of Agama Biogas. Bio-digesters have everything to do with waste. They are an ancient technology, originating in China but occurring worldwide. Today they are being revived to solve problems with waste disposal & energy security.
If we are really committed to being energy smart, we will be willing to state our EE goals and values on paper. You know the saying, 'If you don't write them down, they're not real'. This is the first step. What you put down on paper is equally important. We often see EE policy statements that are so vague, it renders them useless. A proper EE policy will have measurable objectives, milestones and clear strategies.
Biomethane is the new energy resource that no-one can seem to find fault with, even the harshest of critics. The idea is that all organic waste (food, human and animal) can be broken down in special plants by means of anaerobic digestion resulting in a gas that can be used as fuel for transport. This can then be processed further with the use of microbes to make electricity.
An exciting new joint venture is set to harness the Cape wind!
This is a huge opportunity as wind energy is an untapped resource in South Africa. Mainstream Renewable Power, an Irish-based global renewable energy provider, recently signed a joint venture deal with South African wind farm developer, Genesis Eco-Energy, to build wind farms that will generate more than 500 MW of wind energy in the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape by 2014. The deal involves a capital investment of €850 million (R11bn) over a five-year period.
