Blade Nzimande, Minister of Education, Science, and Technology, said South Africa’s scientists are lauded globally for their unparalleled skills. He was speaking at the SANEDI (South African National Energy Development Institute) Conference, at the Emperor’s Palace, on the East Rand, this week.
Cutting – edge technologies aimed at improving systems are underway, thanks to a partnership between SANEDI, the Department of Science and the Innovation Agency.
Some pilots include free basic alternative energy in the City of Cape Town.
The plan is to provide virtual free basic alternative energy subsidy coupons to households. Customers can redeem it for electricity when necessary.
Some alternative sources include LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), used mostly for cooking.
There is also a planned solar home system, meant to light up homes and charging phones.
Other energy saving technologies piloted in the City, include the geyser tag, an electronic devise, attached to the geyser, to read and communicate information about it.
The device is then connected to an app which can provide relevant data about the geyser.
In other cities, such as nearby Drakenstein, smart metering technologies, designed to reduce errors, are underway.
The meters have early fault detection systems, to alert technicians, who do not have to be on site to read information.
At a media briefing, scheduled as part of the SANEDI’s first conference on energy, Professor Sampson Mamphweli, mentioned the innovative projects to convert captured carbon into useful products such as green ammonia.
He also highlighted the multi-stakeholder project currently being piloted in a village in Limpopo that combines water, food and energy technologies with rural economic and skills development, as well as technology-driven solutions, such as solar-powered science and media labs, to improve rural education.