Clean Power Africa to showcase renewable energy solutions for businesses

The event will give an exclusive look at hydro, wind and solar projects and opportunities across the African continent, gathering major stakeholders in the clean power energy generation sector looking at feasible solutions to fulfil Africa's generation capacity needs.

Benefits of energy efficiency

Sayers, "renewable energy sources need to play a vital role in increasing capacity worldwide. Not only are they necessary to create sustainable energy sources, reduce carbon emissions but they also help to create jobs."

She continues, "more and more governments around the world are acknowledging the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy as central elements of any green economy strategy. Renewables are also increasingly becoming critical to providing access to energy, particularly in rural areas of the developing world, especially in Africa."

Clean Power Africa provides a unique focus on renewable energy and the plans that need to be put to integrate this technology into the utility environment. The specially designed exhibition floor workshops will pull together some of the more technical aspects of the renewable energy sector with important topics such as integrating wind energy with the grid and technical innovation of hydro mechanical structures.

Better quality of life

Global energy giant, Marelli Motori, is the top, platinum sponsor for Clean Power Africa.

"Our goal is to help ordinary people in Africa have a better quality of life", says regional manager for Africa, Dean Pratt. Marelli Motori designs, manufactures and supplies in excess of 200 000 synchronous and asynchronous generators and electric motors to the power generation, renewable power, petrochemical and marine industries annually.

Says Pratt, "20% of Marelli Motori turnover is already based on renewable energies, namely mini-micro power stations."

Silver sponsors for the event is DuPont. Stephan Padlewski, Market & Program Leader at DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions: "The African continent is well suited for solar power, since it is mostly rural and there is a need for power in many areas. Solar energy can help address these issues in the short-term and also contribute to local economic development."

He says the biggest challenge to the South African energy market is in building and strengthening investor confidence, which he says is the key to a healthy solar industry in South Africa. Padlewski continues, "And, well-defined regulatory and legislative frameworks are needed that allow for feed-in to the grid at all voltage levels. These frameworks will further allow the market to develop at a sound pace."

Some 5 000 power professionals from all over the continent are to meet at Clean Power Africa and the co-located African Utility Week from 14-15 May at the CTICC, where Eskom CE Brian Dames will once again deliver the keynote address.

Renewable energy in action

The event will also offer a unique site visit to three successful renewable energy projects in the Cape Town region including the Green Energy District in Montague Gardens with a state of the art manufacturing facility at AEG Power Solutions where over 60% of the components are locally sourced. Clean Power Africa delegates also have the opportunity to visit Africa's largest rooftop solar installation at Vodacom in Century City. The 500kw installation supplies 65% of the peak power required for the Vodacom site. At the Oldenburg Wine Estate a 44.65kw ground mounted solar installation provides much needed power on the farm.

For more, go to www.clean-power-africa.com or www.african-utility-week.com