The energy scene in Southern Africa is dominated by South Africa. While its coal-based electricity used to be cheap and reliable by world standards, the South African state utility recently ran out of reserve capacity – with blackouts resulting. In the second part of an article for Renewable Energy Focus, Dieter Holm, long-serving member of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), reports on renewed awareness of energy efficiency and renewable energy in South Africa.
16 June, 2009
Large conventional and nuclear power stations have traditionally been the ‘big hitters’ of electrical power generation, with a few up to 4 GW. Wind, too, is beginning to muscle into the ‘Gigawatt-Plus’ club. George Marsh asks: How soon solar power could join the big hitters.
09 June, 2009
For the average citizen, algae is often viewed as a problematic growth within backyard swimming pools and in-home fish tanks. However in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2 and a potential biofuel, algae is a hot topic.
02 June, 2009
Both houses of the US Congress have started work on energy bills they hope to pass by autumn. Stephen Barlas investigates.
01 June, 2009
Although many different processes are used to build wind turbine blades, they all share the same maintenance challenges. Understanding how and why a blade is made a certain way will improve the chances of making good decisions on blade maintenance, say Jack Wallace Jr. and Mark Dawson of Frontier Pro Services.
01 June, 2009