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Renewable energy resources, their application, equipment and technology will come under the spotlight at the International Solar Energy Society’s (ISES) Solar World Congress at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 11 – 14 October 2009, when international experts from 49 countries will share the latest advances and innovations in the field of solar energy and renewable energy resources.
The Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) and ISES are co-hosting this 29th biennial congress in South Africa for the first time. The theme is Renewable Energy: Shaping Our Future.
Jon Adams, Chairperson of the ISES Solar World Congress 2009, says hosting this international congress in South Africa is excellent timing. `Energy - whether it is saving it, generating it or just using it - is on everyone’s lips. Never before have so many South Africans been so conscious and conscientious about energy usage and the promotion of friendlier sources of energy to meet their daily needs for business and domestic use.
Adams is optimistic that this open-minded attitude paves the way for new business opportunities, investment, joint ventures and employment that will benefit the region as a whole. `Combined with the announcement of the renewable energy feed-in tariff made in March, the renewable energy market in South Africa is expected to show significant growth within the next few years. South Africans and the Southern African region are receptive for changes in the way we generate, produce and supplement our essential energy resources. It is fertile ground just waiting to be cultivated,’ he said.
Earlier this month, growth consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan was quoted in Engineering News that the renewable energy equipment market in Southern Africa had earned revenues of $28,4-million in 2008, a number which was set to increase nearly tenfold by 2015.
The South African government’s support for the ISES Solar World Congress 2009 is evident with the participation of the Minister of Energy, Ms Dipuo Peters, who will give the opening keynote address on 11 October.
Keynote speakers during the plenary sessions include top international experts such as Dr Monica Oliphant, President of ISES, Dr Hermann Scheer, Prof Eicke Weber, Dr Harry Lehmann, Alexandros Tombazis and Prof Hartmut Grassl. Yogi Goswami, Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department and Co-Director of the Clean Energy Research Center at the University of South Florida will present the Farrington Daniels Award Lecture on Future Watch, Emerging Solar Energy Technologies. Among the South African plenary session presenters are Richard Worthington, Prof Vivian Alberts and Peet du Plooy.
The programme will cover the broader areas of resource assessment; solar heating and cooling; solar electricity; solar buildings; and solar energy and society. Each theme caters for sub-themes that deal with every aspect of renewable energy under the sun.
There are a total of 142 speakers from 49 countries, delivering 177 oral and 108 poster presentations in five themes. 46 out of 285 papers have been submitted by South Africans and another 11 from other African countries.
Although the ISES Solar World Congress 2009 comprises mainly scientific papers aimed at multi-disciplinary specialists, the spin-offs will benefit industry, trade and consumers as research and development evolve in everyday products and services.
The Solar Buildings theme caters for the construction industry with topics such as:- Re-shaping our built environment for a RE future
- Climate zone definition for energy efficient solar buildings in South Africa
- Sustainable energy technologies and their application to low energy buildings
Solar Energy and Society, another of one of the themes, includes presentations that specifically address the benefits of renewable energy resources and their role in and interaction with society now and in the future. Some interesting topics in this theme include: - Solar energy: a solution to energy poverty in Africa
- Potential of solar energy technologies for energy supply in Gauteng
- Solar cookers and Africa’s solar future
The use of wind power offers some interesting applications. A presentation on the use of kites to provide maritime wind propulsion will be of particular interest to anyone in the shipping industry or for recreational and competitive yachting enthusiasts.
The congress programme also makes provision for delegates to go on technical tours to demonstrate how South African industries are using renewable energy resources (e.g. sugar cane and a hydro plant) to produce power. Special sessions on energy awareness aimed at school children will target the younger generation. Renewable Energy Expo A trade exhibition, Renewable Energy Expo, will run parallel to the congress. The theme of the Expo is Efficient, Alternative, Sustainable, and it will focus on solar, renewable, sustainable, alternative and energy efficient resources, products and services. The Expo, which includes 52 international and local exhibitions, will be open to the trade from 14:00 to 17:00 on 12, 13 and 14 October.
`The ISES Solar World Congress 2009 and Renewable Energy Expo offer a unique opportunity to experience the best and latest developments in the field of renewable energy resources under one roof over three days. South Africans who are involved in renewable energy or who intend making it their business, are advised to use this opportunity to gather information about the latest developments and establish networks for future collaboration, joint ventures and opportunities for sustainable projects, Adams said. Plenary speakers’ information- Herman Scheer, President of World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE)
- Eicke Weber, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and Professor of Physics and Applied Sciences at the Albert-Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany
- Harry Lehmann, Federal Environment Agency - Head of Division I: Environmental Planning and Sustainable Strategies
- Alexandros Tombazis, Principal in "Alexandros N. Tombazis and Associates Architects” (Μeletitiki Ltd.)
- Hartmut Grassl, Director emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, and retired Professor of the University
- Richard Worthington, Manager: Climate Change Programme at WWF-SA
- Vivian Alberts, Full Professor of the Department of Physics at UJ / Managing Director PTIP (Pty)Ltd
- Peet du Plooy, WWF Trade and Investment Programme
Visit the event website at http://www.solarworldcongress2009.com/ |
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