The Second IASTED Africa
Conference
on
Power and Energy Systems
~AfricaPES 2008~
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
September 8 – 10, 2008
Gaborone, Botswana
PANEL SESSION
Renewable Energy in Southern Africa
Abstract
The panel will explore the exiting renewable energy resources available in Southern Africa, the current and future harvesting thereof, and the obstacles and barriers to implement renewable energy projects. The discussion should identify and explore possible implementation strategies, especially those that can be pursued on a regional basis. The outcome must be a vision of how the region can unlock the existing renewable energy resources to the benefit of the broader community.
Biography of the Presenter
Prof Wikus van Niekerk is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Head of the Mechanics Division and Director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University. He is registered as a Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa, and currently evaluated by the NRF as a C2-category researcher.
He completed his PhD on the active control of transient noise transmission at the University of California and is currently doing research in human response to noise and vibration, seat transmissibility and its effect on automotive NVH, sound quality and optimal design of seats for novel applications. He has a keen interest in wave energy and is investigating the exploitation of the wave energy on the southwest coast of South Africa.
If you are interested in being on this panel, please contact Prof. J.L. van Niekerk at wikus@sun.ac.za.
