Sparks Electrical News

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IN THIS ISSUE
February 2016
FEATURES
REGULARS
THE South African Institute of Electrical Engineers
(SAIEE) will host a Smart Grid Conference at the
EskomAcademy of Learning in Midrand from
23 to 25 February to address the technology and
business aspects of smart grids. The conference will
provide a platform for industry to discuss cutting
edge innovations in smart grid technology includ-
ing addressing how the current electricity network
can be converted into a smart grid. An impressive
list of international and local experts will be speak-
ing and participating in discussion at the confer-
ence. These include:
• Professor Massoud Amin currently director of
the Technological Leadership Institute at the
University of Minnesota and considered to be
the‘father of smart grids’.
• Professor Qing-GuoWang currently a full profes-
sor in the Department of Electrical and Com-
puter Engineering at the University of Singapore
and in 2016 will be a visiting professor at the
School of Electrical Engineering at the University
of Johannesburg.
• Kurt E. Yeager currently vice-chairman of the
Galvin Electricity Initiative, a non-profit organisa-
tion focused on transforming the reliability and
value of the USA’s electricity services.
• Lee Stogner, currently president of the Vincula
Group and a specialist in the Internet of Things.
Smart grids provide a real-time, dynamic and
focused balance between demand and supply.
Adding a communications layer to the electric
power system creates smart grids. This allows
the consumption of electricity to change from a
one-way transaction (generator to consumer) to a
bi-directional transaction where the consumer can
communicate with the system and plan consump-
tion based on price and/or availability. In addition,
the utility can communicate with the consumer,
and the consumer can respond to requests from
the utility, for example, to limit load in the event of
shortage to alleviate the need for load shedding.
It is strongly believed that the adoption of smart
grid technology will provide immense benefit to
South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa considering
the severe shortage of generating capacity being
experienced at present in this region.
For further details on the conference and to regis-
ter online go to
Enquiries: +27 11 487 3003
SAIEE Smartgrid
conference
The ECA(SA)’s senior staff members and the 2016
Operational Team: Tembe Mwemba (national finance
manager); Pierre Foot (regional director, Western Cape);
Shantonette Pillay (regional director, KwaZulu-Natal);
Pieter Du Toit (regional director, Free State); Cecil Lancaster
(regional director, Bosveld); Stephen Khola (labour relations
and human relations director); Lucas Bowles (regional
director, East South Cape); Louis Pretorius (regional director,
Highveld); and Mark Mfikoe (national director).
ECA(SA)’s operational team for 2016
A SAFEhouse
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