One of the factors that will play a crucial role in ensuring the sustainable development of the wind energy industry in South Africa is that of appropriate standards, specifications, testing and certification of wind energy turbines and components. In parallel with the standardisation process, it is also an imperative that it be afforded the appropriate support via relevant training, education and enforcement. To this end, the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) will be holding a workshop on wind turbine technology and components standards, testing and certification on 4 December 2009.

Gabrielle Coppez, a young engineering graduate of UCT is the first recipient of the Doug Banks Renewable Energy Vision (DBREV) scholarship for post-graduate study in Renewable Energy.  The scholarship will cover fees and living expenses for a two year period at a South African university, with additional funding for equipment, field work and research related travel.

When a boutique hotel in Melrose, Johannesburg needed to expand due to high occupancy levels, it was found that the additional load that the expansion would place on the electrical grid would necessitate an upgrade of the already over-taxed electricity supply. According to James Peech, owner of the Peech Hotel, “the hotel was at the maximum load allowable without an upgrade to its supply at the point where it needed to expand from 10 bedrooms to 16 bedrooms”.

Unlimited Energy Resources (Pty) Ltd, a SESSA member, is developing the South African Solar Water Heating Programmatic CDM Programme under the Kyoto Protocol and requires comments from stakeholders and interested parties. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that it sets binding targets for 38 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.