30/05/2013

If you’ve noticed the variety and number of strange contraptions on the roof increasing then your eyesight is not deceiving you. The EBEIT Wind Energy Research Group (WERG) is hard at work with a number of experiments to do with harvesting of various renewable energies. The WERG group now has 4 interns working fulltime on the projects and big things are planned for 2013. Some of the main projects for 2013 are:

  • Heating of air using parabolic collectors and transferring this heat to a bed of rocks insulated within a vacuum (It is hoped to be able to store heat for a few days and use as required. Great for those rainy days!)
  • Refining our Solar Tracker (By tracking the sun with your solar panels you can gain up to 40% more energy per day)
  • Developing a cost effective, rugged solar cooker (We hope to offer you a solar cooked boerewors roll before the end of the year and/or a solar heated cup of coffee!)
  • Refining and commercializing our “green street light”. eNTsa is hard at work on this.
  • Developing the NMMU patented variable geometry wind turbine blade which hopefully will show improved daily energy yields over current designs. Hold thumbs!
  • Installation of wind turbine / solar panel power at a number of local schools.

Most of the projects are made possible by funding sourced through the Merseta / AIDC initiatives run by Karl du Preez and his dynamic team.

So if you’re at all interested in saving the planet (and your pocket) and have an interest in one or more of these exciting new green technologies pop in and pay us a visit at the Renewable Energy Lab in the E Block.