News


From the editor's desk: Small miracles will hopefully lead to bigger ones

25 October 2023 News


Peter Howells, Editor.

As I sit here this month and ponder the few weeks that have passed, I wonder where the time has gone. Maybe as one gets older, time seems to be compressed more and more. Or maybe the old brains simply cannot cope with multitasking like we used to in our youth, making it seem like there is not enough time to accomplish everything we want to.

It seemed like just the other day I was sitting glued to the exhilarating rugby matches that were being televised during the Rugby World Cup 2019. It was amazing to see how the country could get behind a team. Ultimately, the power that this rugby team wielded in terms of bringing together people from all walks of life was astounding. Very few people were spared from the upliftment in spirits that were the result of winning the most sought-after trophy in rugby.

And here we are again. I, along with millions of other South Africans worldwide, witnessed a sporting spectacle worthy of champions when we triumphed over an excellent French team by a solitary point. More than winning, however, the team showed us how to behave. After the final whistle, players from both sides embraced each other in a show of camaraderie. They had done battle on the field, and although one team had to emerge victorious, both teams could hold their heads up high. Players consoled each other in a gesture of mutual respect, and quite frankly, rugby is the only team sport I can think of where that happens.

Normal people can take a leaf straight out of rugby’s playbook. Get out onto the field, play hard, ‘donder’ each other if you have to, but afterwards, shake a hand, give a hug and have a drink together as a sign of respect for each other.

It’s as if they genuinely care about each other!

And wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone behaved like this. Where people looked out for each other instead of the dog-eat-dog world that we often find ourselves in.

My mind then moved back to the game that was played earlier on the same day. Just into the second half of that game, the lights went out. I, and many others watching, immediately cast our thoughts to the scourge of loadshedding.

We, as South Africans, have become almost nonchalant about these forced power failures that have been thrust upon us. Most now take the power cuts in their stride and have learnt to live with them. This time, however, it had a direct impact on my viewing pleasure, which conjured up a lot of pent-up feelings.

It wasn’t loadshedding, but merely a brief power failure in the area. A few minutes later it was back on, and the rugby thankfully continued uninterrupted.

Many people have installed inverter-based backup solutions to get them through these power failures. They allow the use of renewable energy sources like solar and turbines. That part is easy. What is still an expensive problem is the storage required for these systems to be able to deliver the required amount of energy. Presently, Li-ion storage is the gold standard.

Recently, however, a report on a new solid-state battery technology crossed my desk. Exhibiting better properties than traditional Li-ion batteries, the technology promises greater safety and stability. The number of charge cycles is also greatly improved, with the current test system racking up more than 12 500 charge cycles. The technology is destined for residential and industrial use. Read about it here.

I am excited about this project. It promises to solve the biggest problem with storage currently, which is its longevity. Let’s hope that something comes out of it.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

From the editor's desk: Are we really being ripped off?
Technews Publishing News
To the surprise of many customers, installing solar panels does not always eliminate their utility bill – and in some cases, the power utility may impose additional charges on solar-powered homes.

Read more...
Winner of the Advanced Electronics Challenge
Avnet Silica News
Avnet Silica has named Hydronauten winner of the Advanced Electronics Challenge for breakthrough AI-driven vibration damping technology.

Read more...
Mouser now shipping SiLabs wireless modules
TRX Electronics News
Mouser Electronics is now shipping the new SiWx917Y wireless modules from Silicon Labs which provide ultra-low-power Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.4, and Matter connectivity.

Read more...
Innovative NOS software
News
NEC Corporation has made history as the first company to earn the Telecom Infra Project Phoenix Gold Badge for its innovative Network Operating System software, designed to run on whitebox optical transponders.

Read more...
Big welcome to new team member
Seven Labs Technology News
Seven Labs, a specialist electronics distributor and systems integrator for the South African and sub-Saharan markets, has extended a huge welcome to its newest member of the team.

Read more...
Hisense SA showcases local manufacturing power
News
The proudly SA summit provided an opportunity for Hisense SA to showcase its next generation products manufactured at their state-of-the-art factory in Atlantis, Western Cape.

Read more...
Winner of the Global Energy Efficiency award
News
Pulsiv Limited, the Cambridge (UK) manufacturer of power electronics technology, have won the PSMA’s (Power Sources Manufacturers Association) first Global Energy Efficiency Award.

Read more...
Direct-to-satellite phone call in SA
News
MTN SA and low-earth orbit satellite company Lynk Global have completed a successful technical trial of one of the first mobile-to-satellite phone calls in South Africa.

Read more...
Memory solutions for AI Edge applications
News
Mouser Electronics has announced a new eBook in collaboration with Micron exploring the importance of memory in AI edge applications.

Read more...
Jemstech to produce PCB assemblies for Kamstrup
Jemstech News
Jemstech is pleased to announce that they have successfully concluded a supplier agreement with Kamstrup A/S in Denmark, a leading supplier of intelligent metering solutions in the global market.

Read more...