RENEWABLE ENERGY

Solar park study should begin during May, Peters says

By: Terence Creamer

11th April 2012

A consultant would be selected soon to conduct a full feasibility study into a planned solar park in the Northern Cape and the investigation should begin before the end of May and continue for eight months thereafter.

Energy Minister Dipuo Peters confirmed in a response to a Parliamentary question that her department was working with the Central Energy Fund, the implementing agency for the proposed park, as well as the Northern Cape government and the //Khara Hais municipality to finalise the appointment of the consultant.
“Delays were encountered after the tender documents were released resulting in the delay in the finalisation of the appointment of consultants,” she said.
The department was also working with power utility Eskom to ensure that the first solar power from the park was available by 2016/17, should the feasibility study prove the initiative to be viable.
Eskom was also making some progress with its own 100 MW concentrated solar power (CSP) project, which it planned to develop on a site near Upington, which falls under the //Khara Hais municipality.
The utility recently issued a request for information to test supplier-market interest for the design, supply and installation of the CSP plant it wants to build between 2013 and 2016.
Potential suppliers and contractors had until May 8 to register their interest.

Edited by: Creamer Media Reporter

Weekley Tip

Go Solar

Night lights in the garden can be beautiful and you can get solar lights you dont even have to rack up your elctrical bill. Of course for existing fittings, energy efficiant light bulbs and motion sensors are the perfect choice.

A weekly green tip

Pass on the grass

Grass is heavy on labour, money and chemicals. Trim down on the grassy spaces and by growing native plants, evergreens or shrubs and adding rock features or other water-free landscaping. Help you own budget by helping nature!

Solar Farm to start 2012 - UPINGTON

October 5, 2010

A general view shows the Lieberose solar farm, which is the worlds second biggest solar power plant and Germanys biggest Photograph by: FABRIZIO BENSCH

Government expects the construction of Eskom’s planned solar farm in Upington to start in 2012.
Eskom is likely to be able to finalise a decision on which technology it will use at the sun farm in December, start construction in mid to late 2012, and complete a demonstration plant in 2015. The minister said the project is expected to cost between six to seven billion rand.
The Upington solar power project and a wind farm at Sere, some 160 kilometres north of Cape Town, had been lying dormant for lack of funding.
But the two projects received nearly R2 billion in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development funding as part of the US3.75 billion World Bank loan to Eskom approved earlier this year, putting both back on the drawing board.
Hogan said the World Bank will be providing financing of US250 million “and the rest will be co-financed by other financial institutions such as the African Development Bank”.
“A condition to the World Bank loan was a technology assessment to evaluate developments in concentration solar project technology internationally.
“Following this assessment, which is expected to be completed in December 2010, Eskom will be in a position to finalise the decision on technology choice, production capacity and storage capacity for the demonstration plant.”

We should support this, it is for our earth...

GreenDIYenergy.com

GreenDIYenergy.com

This is very interesting!

Upington the world's new solar capital

By: Christy van der Merwe

28th October 2010

"Upington maak ‘n plan. Don't follow the crowds, follow the sun!"

Upington TAKE the CHALLANGE!!
Energy Minister Dipuo Peters has challenged the private sector and government in the Northern Cape - to make Upington a solar capital of the world.
Peters even questioned why the traffic lights in Upington were not solar powered. "Let's get the whole town heating its water through solar water heaters. Let's have the lights solar powered. There are companies here today who can make that happen, there are investors who can structure the financial packages to pay for this," she said.
The Northern Cape has been selected as the base for the creation of a ‘Solar Park', which could serve as a concentrated zone of solar development in South Africa.
The area had excellent and consistent radiation, flat and sparsely-populated land, the ability to connect to the electricity grid at multiple points, water available from the Orange River, a developed highway system, and the Upington airport, which made it an ideal location for solar deployment.
Department of Energy (DoE) director general Nelisiwe Magubane said that solar energy industrialisation in Upington implied the development of new skills for the local populace thus enhancing their employability.
She added that the park presented a major opportunity to diversify South Africa's industrial base and create significant much-needed decent jobs.
It was envisaged that the solar park could expand to produce 5 000 MW of solar power over a ten-year deployment horizon, in a territory stretching from Upington to De Aar.
A Solar Park Authority would be established, and bulk infrastructure, such as water, electricity and transport solutions, would be provided for different project developers. Land access would also be provided, and the environmental impact assessment process made easier. This would make project development easier.
The DoE indicated that site preparation could take place as early as 2011, and once regulatory and legislative hurdles were cleared, solar plants, which have been selected through the competitive bidding process, could start producing solar power by the second half of 2012.

Amaizing!

Climate change

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone's "going green." We're glad you want to take action, too. Luckily, many of the steps we can take to stop climate change can make our lives better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more sustainably. Let's start now.

Save energy to save money
Plant your own vegetables
Save water to save money
Less gas = more money (and better health!)
Eat smart
Think before you buy
Keep electronics out of the trash
Make your own cleaning supplies