Sungrow launches new three-phase battery/inverter system in South Africa

Solar power solutions company Sungrow has unveiled its three-phase inverter and battery energy solution in South Africa, featuring four inverter models and two battery options suited for both residential and commercial or industrial applications. For residential applications, the three-phase inverters come in three sizes: 6 kW, 10 kW and 25 kW. For commercial and industrial applications, the company now offers a 125 kWh string inverter.
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South Africa takes next step toward opening up electricity trade

South Africa moved a step closer toward creating a competitive electricity market after legislation that establishes the framework cleared another hurdle. The Electricity Regulation Act Amendment Bill, which will facilitate the opening of the national power grid to private generators, was approved by the National Assembly on Thursday. The bill provides for the creation of an independent transmission system operator, a precursor to the establishment of an electricity-trading platform.
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REIPPPP Bid Window submissions deadline extended

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the reasons for the extension of the bid submissions deadline for Bid Window 7 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, what this could mean for other procurement rounds and the anticipated outcome of Bid Window 7.
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South Africa’s next energy challenge: A R390-billion grid upgrade

South Africa is facing a monumental challenge as it seeks to end years of rolling electricity outages that have hobbled the economy: It needs to build and fund a R390-billion expansion of the national grid so it can connect more power plants. The transmission system is owned, managed and maintained by Eskom, which supplies more than 80% of the country’s electricity and has failed to properly maintain its plants or expedite the process of building enough new ones to avert energy shortages. The State utility plans to build 14 218 kilometers of power lines over the the next decade, more than three times what it has installed over the past 10 years. It will also have to increase its transformer capacity six-fold and build other infrastructure.
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Greater energy efficiency demand in growing food, bev industry

Demand for drive solutions specialist SEW-EURODRIVE’s energy efficient product offering is currently strong and increasing steadily with end-users in the growing food and beverage industry and the original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that supply them, says SEW-EURODRIVE Cape Town branch manager Dwane Jacobs. The industry continues to grow with expanding population numbers creating greater demand for continuous production, requiring more energy efficient and reliable production lines to improve operating costs.
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