Seqhatsi Shata, a third-year student in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Scienceat the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE ), showcased his innovative research of protecting solar energy infrastructure against cable theft.
Shata represented the University at the IEEE 9th International Energy Conference (ENERGYCON) last week, in Paris, France.
His research paper titled “Design of an Energy-Autonomous Edge-IoT Security Node for Remote PV Infrastructure Protection” is co-authored with his supervisor -Dr Lutendo Muremi, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology.
The paper proposes an energy-independent security system designed to curb cable theft.
While organised syndicates target remote solar installations by cutting power cables, his work proposes a self-powered security node that can continue operating even when the main electricity supply is disconnected.
The system combines two energy-harvesting methods – magnetic energy generated around electrical cables and small photovoltaic panels – to maintain its own power supply.
Simulations indicate that the proposed design can sustain a 1,000mAh battery and provide up to 156 hours of unassisted tracking, without an external power supply.
The architecture also incorporates a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE 5.0) communication protocol, enabling nearby security nodes to communicate and verify potential threats.
Dr Muremi, says Shata’s work demonstrates how undergraduate innovation can evolve into solutions addressing pressing industry challenges.
“In South Africa, remote solar farms and microgrids are heavily targeted by cable thieves who deliberately cut power lines to blind standard security systems. We designed this edge node to solve that exact problem by removing total grid dependency” he said.
Picture: Supplied