Energy i nstitute

The institute’s members are Prof Nico Beute, Prof Philip Lloyd and Prof Harold Annegarn. Prof Ernst Uken, who was the Director of the Energy Institute for many years, left us in 2014.

The core business of the institute comprises all aspects of the interdisciplinary topic “Energy”, from seeking better ways for the poor to cook to recommending methods for reducing carbon emissions from energy generation and use. Much of the research of the unit is funded by the two conferences, the Domestic Use of Energy (DUE) and the Industrial and Commercial Use of Energy (ICUE), and by external courses involving the petroleum industry. These give exposure of the institute and the university as a whole to a wider audience, as well as providing funding for much of our research.

Core activities during 2014

• The NRF funded a bilateral exchange programme with the Chinese Agricultural University, Beijing (CAU), in the area of cookstove design and testing. This has been supported by the SABS who nominated two members of the Energy Institute to the International Standards Organisation Working Group.

• The Energy Institute collaborated with UJ’s SeTAR Centre and the CAU to develop testing methods for solid-fuelled cookstoves.

• The institute collaborated with the International Standards Organisation Technical Committee 275 on the development of standards for solid-fuelled cookstoves.

• The institute collaborated with the Council of Academies of Engineering on a book on transiting to a lower carbon world in the areas of buildings and transport.

• A novel paraffin burner was developed for household use.

• A course titled An introduction to the petroleum industry was presented to the general public and to staff of the National Energy Regulator.

• A centre was provided for the exchange of information on energy use in the domestic, commercial and industrial areas.

Lloyd attended the International Congress of the Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Societies, during which he had the opportunity to meet Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, and to visit CAU. Prof Annegarn spent a week visiting the College of Engineering, CAU, to exchange information on international stove testing and standards.

• The 22nd DUE Conference’s theme involved how DC-grids can help provide electricity to all South Africans.

• The 11th ICUE Conference was held in Cape Town. It was well attended; many presentations were published in its proceedings. There were excellent presentations from invited speakers about various aspects of energy efficient buildings and activities promoting energy efficiency in government buildings.

Standards Organisation workshop on stove testing and standards in Guatemala, and chaired a session as Chair of Working Group.

Highlights for 2014

• An inherently safe paraffin burner was developed for domestic cooking.

• Preliminary international standards for the laboratory testing of solid-fuelled cookstoves as part of an International Standards Organisation initiative were developed.

• An exchange of students took place between China and South Africa to share experience in cookstove design, development and testing.

• Reciprocal visits to China took place. Prof

• Prof Annegarn served as Chair and Facilitator of Renewable Energy at the IEEECO Round Table Workshop for Small Rural Municipalities in the Northern Cape Solar Corridor, held in Upington at the Northern Cape Rural FET College.

• Dr Ludger Eltrop of the Institute for Energy Economics and Rational Use of Energy (IER) at the University of Stuttgart visited in September. He delivered a three-day course at CPUT to graduate students from CPUT and UCT, titled Technologies and pathways for the energetic use of biomass.

• Prof Lloyd attended an International

• Prof Annegarn presented an invited keynote address titled Promoting innovation in gas for mobility, at the Gas for Mobility Summit, convened by the Mayoral Office, City of Johannesburg.

• A delegation of four students and government officials attended a three-week Senior Training Programme for Clean Future: Clean Combustion Technology and Its Application at CAU, sponsored in part by the CPUT/CAU NRF bilateral exchange grant.

• Prof Annegarn served as a supervisor as part of the IIASA/DST South Africa Young Scientist Summer Programme (SA-YSSP) at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.