RENEWABLE ENERGIES PILOT PROJECT

1- Overview	2- Motivations
3- Description	4- Overseas example
5- FAQ	6- Project deliverable
7- Glossary	8- Further information

 - LATEST NEWS -

The system has been up and running since 28 July, and the output is being constantly monitored. You can access the plant’s yield through SMA Sunny Portal’s webpage where you will find various charts constantly updated.


OVERVIEW

As part of it’s vision to promote the generation and use of renewable energy, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality alongside with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is currently investigating on the feasibility to implement so called "small scale decentralized grid connected renewable energies" in the Municipality, and furthermore in South Africa.

Small scale, because the systems used are sized for household needs.
Decentralized, because the energy production is scattered amongst various households, instead of having only one large plant.
Grid-connected, so that the household can exchange electricity with the grid.
Renewable energies, because the electricity is produced from renewable sources (wind, sun…)

A typical domestic dwelling has been selected for the purpose, and a complete hybrid system comprising of solar panels, a wind turbine, battery storage and the necessary monitoring and control equipment has been installed.

In the aim of promoting renewable energy sources and giving public exposure to the project, a wind turbine will shortly be mounted on Hobie beach’s pier (on the top of the ready existing mast). The electricity produced will be used to power a set of lights at the end of the pier.

WHAT ARE THE MOTIVATIONS FOR SUCH PROJECT?

- Worldwide environmental considerations. The use of renewable energies contributes to slow down the process of global warming and emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
- Fossil fuel shortage. We are already experiencing the up rise of costs for traditional energy sources in electricity production, sooner or later these sources will no longer be economically viable and alternative solutions will have to be considered.
- Alleviate households from grid dependence. By producing their own electricity, households are no longer impacted by load shedding or tariff rise.

DESCRIPTION

The electricity produced from the renewable sources (here solar panels and a wind turbine) is converted in a 220V/50Hz sinewave by the grid manager/inverter (yellow on the scheme) so that it can be used as the regular supply. The excess energy produced (not consumed by the household) can be "fed" into the grid through a special feed-in meter.
The batteries can be used for backup purposes when the grid is down: they can be charged at day time by the renewable sources, and provide energy at night time.

Following, a couple of photos of the pilot site and the equipment installed (solar modules, wind turbine, battery bank, backup transormer and inverters):






Download the report from SABC on this project

 

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OVERSEAS EXAMPLE

Renewable tariffs for decentralized sources have proven the most successful mechanism for stimulating investment in renewable electricity generation worldwide.Such systems have already been implemented to a large extend in various countries overseas. Way ahead of the other European countries, Germany set up the first feed-in bylaws for decentralized grid-connection in 1990. Nowadays in Germany, over 250.000 homes, businesses and farms have installed PV panels on their roofs, producing around 3900 MW (Mega Watts) of solar energy (7 times the needs for the whole Nelson Mandela Bay metropolis), while 20.000 wind turbines throughout the country operate over 25.000 MW (50 times NMBM needs!).

Today, renewables (mainly set up under feed-in laws) in Germany provide over 10% of supply (55 TWh/yr = 55.000.000 kWh/yr) and overall 150.000 jobs in renewable energy.

Some places have gone as far as Prince Edward’s Island (a province of Canada), which recently annouced the implementation of renewable policy including feed-in tariffs for the island to generate 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2015.
 

Isn’t solar energy too expensive?
Solar energy production is still at its early stages, and the cost of the panels is still high. The reason why it is affordable in Europe and the US is because of attractive feed-in tariffs and/or subsidies as a result of political choices.

What is the future for solar energy?
Solar powering is a very rapidly growing market, and new technologies are constantly being developed. It is likely that prices will drop considerably throughout the next decade.

Aren’t wind turbines too noisy?
They used to be, but nowadays sophisticated blade designs offer noise reduction down to the level of wind blowing through trees for small-scale turbines (under 3kW).

Is there enough sun and wind in NMBM?
South Africa in general, and NMBM in particular, is a region of choice for both wind and sun. On the coastline, the windy city offers good conditions for turbines, and the irradiation is 95% of the world’s most sunny regions.

Could I power my household using exclusively solar and wind power?
Yes, it is possible to do so, but connecting to the grid is cheaper. Indeed, these renewable sources have the inconvenience to be intermittent: sun only shines at daytime, and wind isn’t continually blowing. So costly batteries are needed to stock energy for the times when the household does not produce it. This can be avoided by using the grid as a “backup”. Ultimately, connecting to the grid enables to feed in to it, providing a steady income.

Can I implement such a system now in my house and run my consumption meter backwards?
Technically, yes. Legally, no, since there are yet no bylaws concerning decentralised production of energy and feeding into the grid. It is highly unadvisable to do so, since various security issues need to be taken into account before hand, hence the project we are working on.