Afsia publishes inaugural solar outlook report

Industry body the Africa Solar Industry Association (Afsia) has published its first yearly ‘Africa Solar Outlook’ report, which provides clear and concise information about the solar dynamics in each country in Africa to help solar professionals make decisions, says Afsia CEO John van Zuylen. The report reviews the key drivers for successful solar developments in each country and provides snapshots of their statuses and latest developments.
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Ramaphosa’s SoNA holds bold promises, but lacks finer details, says BLSA

In his February 13 State of the Nation Address (SoNA), President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted factors that will serve to lift the economy, tackle Covid-19 and boost ailing electricity infrastructure, says Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso.

Of particular interest, she says, was the four priorities of defeating Covid-19, driving an economic recovery, making reforms to improve inclusive growth and a rapid expansion of energy generating capacity were “spot on”.


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Smoothing the path for distributed generation investment

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement in his State of the Nation Address that the regulatory framework governing distributed-generation power projects will be amended and how this will help South Africa at a time when it is still facing electricity supply constraints and load-shedding.
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Solutions light up local lodge

Lighting products supplier BEKA Schréder has supplied exterior lighting solutions to Skukuza Safari Lodge, which was officially opened last November. Located in one of the largest game reserves in Africa, the Kruger National Park, the newly built lodge offers tourism facilities for local and international visitors, and boasts 128 units.
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Company expands lighting range

International lighting solutions provider Signify has expanded its Philips Hue portfolio in the US. This expansion includes an outdoor light to further personalise gardens and porches, a new wall switch module that makes existing light switches smart, and a redesigned Philips Hue dimmer switch. The outdoor set consists of the new Philips Hue Amarant linear wall wash light, which enables users to bathe outdoor walls with light to create the right ambiance in their yard no matter the season. The wall washing effect of vibrant light in millions of colours is intensified by the metal shield and spices up the look and feel of a blank wall in yards, patios, and terraces or on balconies.
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Range provides dependable power distribution

Electrical and digital building infrastructure provider Legrand’s range of Zucchini busbars includes the LB PLUS range of busbar trunking systems, designed for the distribution of power from 25 A to 63 A. This durable busbar trunking system is an efficient single product solution for dependable lighting and power distribution, that replaces the need for multiple components in industrial and commercial installations.
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Electricity regulations to be amended to raise licence-exemption cap for distributed generation …

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday that Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act would be amended within the next three months to increase “the licensing threshold for embedded generation”. The current licence-exemption cap is set at 1 MW, with projects above that size required to follow a licensing process with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa that has been designed primarily for utility scale investments.
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Defy launches solar hybrid product range in South Africa

Domestic appliance manufacturer Defy on February 11 launched its latest innovation, the Solar Hybrid fridge and freezer products, during a virtual event. The product range includes a fridge and a chest freezer, both of which use solar and grid power.
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Eaton welcomes move away from sulphur hexafluoride switchgear

Power management solutions company Eaton welcomes a move by the European Union (EU) away from sulphur hexafluoride- (SF6-) based electrical switchgear toward more environment-friendly alternatives.

Eaton power division business development manager Marcel Buckner, presenting during a webinar on the subject of SF6 switchgear on February 11, says such gear was developed during the 1960s as a better alternative to oil but that leakage of the odourless and colourless gas from gear is polluting the environment.

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ESG is key to future resilience, says Mgojo

In the recent past, environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria were predominantly focused on environmental impact and related governance issues, such as climate change.

However, since the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the everyday lives of people across the world, more companies are realising the importance of the social and governance aspects of ESG, says diversified miner Exxaro Resources CEO Mxolisi Mgojo, who is also president of the Minerals Council South Africa.

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