New solar panel plant to provide power to the community
28 February 2023
Editor's Choice
News
A new solar panel plant in Cape Town hopes to make a difference in providing both employment and affordable solar panels to low-income households across southern Africa. Ener-G-Africa launched its new facility in the suburb of Ndabeni, Cape Town, as the first small power panel plant certified by TUV Rheinland, an inspection authority with German accreditation.
The small solar panels will be used with its biomass stoves, which are available both locally and overseas.
Most solar panel manufacturers produce large panels aimed at business and residential installations, or targeting commercial utility-scale projects. Manufacturers of small solar panels produced for the African market usually deliver cheap product with poor quality control. Ener-G-Africa plans to change this with its new high-quality small solar panels.
“South Africa is the most technologically capable country on the continent, with really valuable skills,” says Andre Moolman, CEO of Ener-G-Africa. “Cape Town also has access to the port, which is logistically advantageous for importing non-locally manufactured products and also exporting our finished products.”
With the initial outlook for the Ndabeni manufacturing facility being very positive, management has plans to triple capacity within the next 18 months.
Further reading:
Designing with PCIe
Spectrum Concepts
Editor's Choice Interconnection
PCI Express has become the backbone of modern high-performance systems with each new generation promising higher bandwidth, but that performance comes with a cost.
Read more...
Understanding two key tools for cleaner serial data
Altron Arrow
Editor's Choice Analogue, Mixed Signal, LSI
Understanding how pre-emphasis and equalisation works, and when to use one over the other, is critical when designing reliable high-speed systems.
Read more...
Connected without limits: An engineering perspective on Altron Arrow’s wireless ecosystem
Altron Arrow
Editor's Choice Design Automation
Wireless connectivity is no longer a supporting technology, but rather, a core design consideration that underpins modern electronic systems across industries.
Read more...
Telemetry powering South Africa’s industry
Interlynx-SA
Editor's Choice
As South Africa’s economy evolves, industries are under increasing pressure to improve operational efficiency and cut costs. Telemetry is becoming a vital component of industrial strategy, allowing companies to harness real-time data to optimise processes and reduce waste.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: How electronics and AI are transforming the battlefield
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice
The current war in Iran has highlighted one critical observation: electronic engineers are shaping the future of defence and in modern warfare, superiority is no longer measured in firepower, but rather in processing power.
Read more...
Engineering in a world that cannot assume connectivity
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Across industrial automation, networking, and defence systems, engineers are rediscovering the importance of resilience and autonomy in an increasingly connected world.
Read more...
Designing IoT devices for deterministic LPWAN environments
Editor's Choice Telecoms, Datacoms, Wireless, IoT
Built on Ultra Narrow Band communication technology, the Sigfox network focuses on low power, wide area M2M connectivity rather than maximising data throughput.
Read more...
Driving excellence in electronics manufacturing
Jemstech
Editor's Choice Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
Jemstech’s reputation for disciplined execution and client-focused service has earned it strong loyalty from companies operating in demanding industries.
Read more...
In sync with the line
Testerion
Editor's Choice Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
In modern SMT lines, stencil printing must meet two requirements at the same time: it has to ensure a reproducible solder paste volume, while adhering to the specified line cycle time.
Read more...
Resilient navigation in warfare: The role of non-GNSS
Etion Create
Editor's Choice
Alternative navigation methods are essential for maintaining operational capability when satellite signals are unreliable or unavailable.
Read more...