National Energy Conference 2011

The 2nd Annual National Energy Conference started in 4th to 6th of this week, I attended the Wednesday 5th event and the presentations were impressive.
There was a good number of exhibitors were in attendance to show their products in in the energy sector. The public attendance was good, though not many were there on that day.
The 3-day event was at KICC (Kenyatta International Conference Centre).

▲The Power Technics stand was the most impressive, they mounted a VAWT (Vertical Axis Wind Turbine) which was spinning perfectly. Their people at the stand were also helpful. This was a coincidence because I was on attachment there last year. Good work PTL

▲Geothermal Development Corporation, GDC had an impressive rig for drilling of steam at a well. This model was detailed and given again that I had gone for attachment there, I understood everything well. The person who modeled this, whoever you are, good work.

Another stand worth the mention was KETRACO-Kenya Electricity Transmission Company, a newly formed government corporation that is in charge of the transmission lines handed over from Kenya Power. The gentlemen who were there to explain were very informed and knew what they were saying. The stand looked presentable with a PC to show a GIS software for designing the transmission line network.

Recommendations

1. Lake Turkana Wind Power should have been there, that was the primary reason why I attended.
2. More exhibitors will increase public attendance.

To the event organizers, splendid work, keep up.

10 Electrifying Facts About Your Fuse Box

In every home there is a distribution board, commonly called a fuse box or circuit breaker box. This enclosure controls all the electricity that comes into your home.  It is the heart of your home’s electrical system. Everything runs through the fuse box, but what is it? What, exactly, does it do? And why should you care?

1. Fuses prevent fires- Fuses are made for the express purpose of giving their life for yours. They are the sacrificial lambs of the electronic world. When too much current passes through a fuse or breaker it ‘blows’, interrupting the flow of electricity. Without this safeguard, electrical surges could cause overheating or even fire.
2. Fuses help protect your electronic equipment- Without fuses or breakers, any stray electrical surge- from lightning, large appliances, or the electric provider- could arc within your equipment. Even if the arc does not immediately destroy the electronics, repeated surges over time build up until the equipment finally degrades too much to function.
3. Fuses need to be grounded-Grounding a fuse or breaker is an essential part of the safety system. When a fuse is blown the electricity is blocked from continuing down the line, but that electricity doesn’t just go away. It has to go somewhere, and that’s what grounding is for. By providing a safe outlet for that energy to be released, the danger of electric shock is minimized.
4. Fuses need to match the current- The volts passing through the fuse or breaker should match the volts the fuse can take. If you have a fuse that is too small for the volts that are running through it, there is a possibility of arcing. If the fuse is too large, it may not blow when a surge occurs. Either way, the surge will continue into your electronic equipment and could cause a fire.
5. Fuses and breakers should be upgraded every 20 years-If your house’s breaker box is older than 20 years, it may be time for an upgrade. Over time, energy use has changed. The demands placed on breaker boxes today are much greater, and an old system may not be able to handle it. If your breakers or fuses are constantly blowing, you may want to think about an upgrade. Generally if you have actual fuses, you have an electrical system that is over 50 years old. You may want to think about upgrading the entire system- including the wiring and outlets inside the house- for safety. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
6. Fuses should be kept clean and dry- As with all electrical equipment, it is important to keep fuses and breakers from getting wet. Most outdoor fuse boxes have a protective cover on the outside and inside to prevent rain from touching the wires. At least once a year take the time to check on the condition of the fuse box. Dust off any accumulated dirt and flip all the breakers on and off three times to assure they are not stuck. Turn off the electricity before preforming any maintenance!
7. Breakers can be reset- Most home breaker boxes do not actually blow, they merely ‘trip’, or shut off. To reset the breaker, just take a look. In most cases, all the switches in the breaker box will be set to the on position. The breaker that has been tripped will be in either the off position or in the middle. If there are no visible sparks or signs of damage, turn that loose breaker switch into the off position and then flip it back on. The electricity should be immediately restored.
8. Fuses are easy to replace- If you have a true fuse box, your job just got a little harder. Instead of a reset, fuses have to be replaced. Before replacing a fuse, make sure that all power to the fuse box is off. Remove the blown fuse without touching the metal. You can tell a fuse is blown by looking at it. It will appear burnt or the wire inside will be severed. Once the fuse is removed, simply replace it and turn the power back on to the fuse box. If the electricity is not restored, you may more than one blown fuse.
9. Fuses blow for a reason- Find out what it is before you reset or replace. There is always a cause; it may be that you have overloaded the electrical system. If so, just turn off some electrical equipment and try again. Electric clothes dryers and ovens, heaters, air conditioners, vacuums and hair dryers are often the culprits of an overload. If there is any sign of an electrical fire- such as sparks, smoke, or burnt and melted wires- DO NOT reset the system. Call an electrician before restoring the power.
10. There are more fuses than you think- Before you go out to reset your fuse box, take a look around. What is off? What is still on? You may not have to go outside at all. In some homes an internal fuse is connected to the electrical outlets. If so, there will be a red reset button located between the sockets. If only one plug is affected by the outage, try pressing that red button. It takes a little force to get it all the way in, but it should click. Before you do that, make sure that whatever equipment caused the issue is unplugged, and never use anything metal to push the reset button.

The importance of respecting and maintaining your fuse box cannot be overstated. In the United States, the annual number of people who die from electric shock is 1000, whereas the annual number of shark fatalities is 1. As George Carlin said, “Electricity is really just organized lightning”. So the next time a fuse blows and you’re left in the dark, be thankful. It could have just saved your life.

Source: compareelectricityrates

Wind Energy Installation Systems

When you decide to install a wind system in your house, there are a number of wind installation systems that are available and they depend much your nearness to the power line.
The 3 common installation systems are:

• Grid Connected
• Grid Connected with battery backup
• Off-Grid

The Grid Connected involves the wind turbine produces power (AC) which is fed into the house. Should the wind turbine produce more power than the demand of the house, this excess power is fed into the Grid via a meter which counts the units fed into the grid. On the other hand, should the wind system produce less power, the breaker box, shuts and opens power from the grid to be used. The Grid Connected with battery back-up  is similar to the Grid Connected  but inclusive of a battery. This battery is the storage of energy when the wind system is producing more power. In the event of a black-out energy from the battery is used. For the case of Off-Grid, the system is installed in places where the power grid is not available. It has batteries for harnessing excess power from the wind turbine.

In the next post we shall look in detail at the 3 systems.

First Solar Company Opens its doors in Naivasha, Kenya

A 250 million shillings solar manufacturing company has been opened up in Naivasha, making it the only such company in East and Central Africa. With only South Africa hosting a solar manufacturing company in Africa, the entrance of Ubbink East Africa Company into the country is expected to see the cost of power drop. Speaking during the opening of the factory in Naivasha, Ubbink MD Haijo Kuper said that the solar market was growing at between 20-25 percent in East Africa.

"This is the only solar company in Africa outside South African and we intend to invest into a second line of production before the end of the year," he said. With a workforce of 40, Haijo said that the company was currently producing 100 panels per day which was not enough for the market. He said that the biggest challenge was importing sufficient raw materials from Europe and Asia though the government was chipping in to solve the problem.Haijo said that the Dutch based company preferred Kenya due to the learned labor force, wide distributor network and an established market.

"In the last five months we have supplied to the local market and we are now moving to Rwanda, Tanzania and later to Southern Sudan, Malawi and Ethiopia," he added.The production facility is the first to make photovoltaic solar panels in East and Central Africa and is a joint venture between Ubbink, Centrotec Sustainable and Chloride Exide.Speaking during the ceremony, Gert-Jan Hisman the CEO Centrotec Sustainable termed the production as clean green energy.

"This production will see the minimizing of using high pollution energy sources which will contribute to saving the environment," Hisman noted.On his part, the chairman Largo Investments Nigel Pavitt said that almost 98 percent of rural population in Africa did not have power supply."The only readily available energy source is high-pollution kerosene lamps and this solar panels will come in handy," he said.

The panels will be distributed by Chloride Exide and is expected to bring affordable electricity to many rural areas.

From K.B.C (Kenya Broadcasting Corporation)

The Roscoe Wind Farm, US - Largest Wind farm in the World

Fast Facts
Country: US
Locale: Texas
Status: Operational
Comissioning Date: 2009
Construction Cost: 1Billion USD
No of Turbines: 627
Type: Onshore
Capacity: 781.5MW

Owned and operated by E.ON Climate & Renewable, the Rescoe Wind Farm stands tall with 627 turbines with an installed output of 781.5MW. It was constructed in 4phases:

• 1st Phase,   Rescoe         -2008,            209 Mitsubishi 1MW Turbines
• 2nd Phase, Champion - 2008,            55 Siemens 2.3MW Turbines
• 3rd Phase,  Pyron            -Mid 2009,  166 General Electric 1.5MW Turbines
• 4th Phase,  Inadale         -2009,            197Mitubishi 1MW Turbines

This project cost more than 1Billion US Dollars and provides enough power for more than 250,000 Texan homes. Located 320km West of Fort Worth, it covers an area of 400km (sq). The farm is also notable for its nearly 400Land owners.

Brazil Windpower 2011-Conference & Exhibition

The Sulamerica Conference Center in Rio, Brazil will play host to the Brazil Windpower Conference. This conference will bring together people and market leaders in the industry to showcase their products.

According to the event organaizers, there shall be more space available for the booths and many are expected to attend, including me. The event will run for 3 days, that is August 30, 31 and Sept. 1

The Schedule
August 31st
4pm – accreditation
4:30pm – 6pm – Opening Ceremony
6pm – 7:30pm – Opening of the fair and cocktail

September 1st
8am – accreditation and opening of the fair
8:45am – Beginning of sessions
7pm – ending of the second day
8:30pm – 11pm – Event dinner at Porcão Rio’s

September 2nd
8am – accreditation and opening of the fair
8:45am – Beginning of sessions
4pm – ending of the fair
6pm – ending of the event

I am so not missing this event, see you there.

Community Stadium Illumination Research Using Renewable Energy

Stadium Lighting and Illumination is a major favorite for many engineers in the power or lighting fields. What if we spice that by saying that the lighting shall be provided by renewable energy sources and not heavy fuel generators?

This sounds crazy and at the same time interesting give the fact that stadiums are well known power hungry loads, so much that each nowadays has its own in-house sub-station.

This is very true and I would be hitting headlines in no time if I proposed to light a whole stadium with renewable energy. But this is not the case as of now, my main target is community based sports arenas that sadly can only be used during the day due to power problems.

Yesterday I happened to go and watch a football team during their usual practice at YMCA-Thika in Kenya. I have never seen the game played so well by eager youths who one day wanted to be in the big leagues. It was a good evening and the session went well. Sadly to my disappointment as the sun hid behind the clouds, the session was called to and end and all strolled for their stuff and headed home.How!!! Why should the sun dictate when we should work yet it has give us immense power and energy? (Solar & Wind Energy). Suppose the talented youth could train all night? They would be 20* better. YMCA-Thika could host floodlit events and also benefit by renting out the pitch.

It is for such reasons that I have embarked on a study/research to see how Community Stadium Illumination could help increase opportunity for youths in developing countries. The study will last 2months till end of August. I will post updates and pics as the study goes on. Let me go and talk to the management of YMCA-Thika before commencing further.

KPLC is now Kenya Power

 

With time come a change and that is why The Kenya Power & Lighting Company (as was previously known) is now simply, Kenya Power. Kenya Power is Kenya's largest power distribution company that feeds power to all places.

This corporate re-branding has come at a time when the company is undertaking some organization strategies to focus more on the customer and service delivery. I must say that the new logo is as they wanted, neat and clean.

The Logo Design Competition was a nationwide competition that attracted many designers with their unique designs of the logo to be, even me i had mine. This was last year (2010). The deadline came and all who wanted to participate had submitted. Still don't know who won, but congrats to him/her + their runners up. Though it had taken time but still good, worth the delay.

From KPLC website...

KPLC, which will now be known as Kenya Power, embarked on a corporate culture change and rebranding exercise in 2009 with the aim of transforming the distribution network in order to render more reliable and responsive services to customers and to sustain its good financial performance.

 According to Kenya Power Managing Director and CEO, Eng. Joseph Njoroge, the project entailed creation of a new organisational culture, a new logo, and a corporate brand which supports the company’s long term objectives and meets the increasing expectations of its customers.

In a presentation he made to guests during launch of the new brand at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Eng. Njoroge revealed that the company anticipates electricity demand to climb to 15,000 MW by the year 2030 owing to economic growth as envisioned by the government.

The Altamont Wind Farm

QUICK FACTS
Location: Alameda County, California, US
Maximum Output: 576MW
Annual Power Generation 1.1TWh
No of Turbines: 4,930
Installation Date: 1981
Condition: Good to Poor

Image:theage.com.au



 The Altamont wind farm, constructed in the 1980’s was at one time the largest wind farm in the world in terms of capacity. This farm was well known by the sheer number of bird mortality at the site. The farm is now one of the oldest wind farms in the US.

The wind farm is composed of many small wind turbines which are regarded as old since the station was constructed a long time ago. Many of these turbines are being replaced with better efficient wind machined which need not to spin fast for power generation. 40kW, 65kW -100kW is the range of most turbines in the pass, installed on metal lattices, while the 100kW are on tubular concrete towers.

The Altamont Wind farm is owned by almost a dozen companies. During the installation date, no clear Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was done in terms of how the turbines would interact with the wildlife and the result was the deadliest wind farm in the world, in terms of avian mortality.
Though the Altamont is known for its powerful wind speed, it is an important bird migration route, and its green-grass covered hills provide food for many species for raptors. The raptors and the federally protected Golden Eagles are killed annually. 4700 of these birds meet their demise in the wind farm annually.

10 Steps to install a small wind power project

Thinking of installing a domestic wind turbine?
Good, now read on....

Step1

Measure the electrical consumption of your domestic appliances in KWh

Step 2

Access your wind resource.

Step3

Head to the dealer and select a turbine and a tower basing your selection on the wind resource. The dealer will advice you.

Step4

Contact the municipal authority or council for laws or regulations that may hinder your project.

Step5

Make sure you have a permit to erect a structure beyond a certain limit so that it does not endanger your neighbours.

Step6

Contact the local utility power supply to sign feed-in grid tariff if any.

Step7

Obtain a license for the wiring done from your turbine to the tower and the grid. This can be arranged by the local utility company.

Step8

Time to order the parts including the turbine and generator.

Step9

Install the system

Step10

Commission the system, but you'll probably require a CERTIFIED Installer to do this. Then perform regular
maintenance on the system.Enjoy your system.