Solar Systems Applications in Cape Town Background: –DmE projected impact of RE in 10 years is dismal ( GWh/pa) –Because it is judged against poor electric conversion efficiencies –Solar water heating has been suggested to by-pass this shortcoming –Highest impact however would be on peak demand losses on ESKOM grid –Cape Town have ambitious target of solar heaters (by 2010) Objectives: –Impact of solar heaters on grid peak demand –Projections of energy and line loss savings on a nationwide application Solar Systems

Case Study: Blombos Pilot Solar Water Pumping Background: – Blombos lies about 300 km on Cape Town’s west coast – Farm needs: water pumping – Commercial system cost: R33k Approach: – Used latest state of the art equipment - not archaic solar maps! – Used wind to advantage: raised the panel up Solar Systems Outputs: – Solar panel driven pump system – Farmer had more water than needed! – Cost of R13k (40 % of original spec!) Comments: – Over-design ignorance increases costs – Need to move away from obsolete methods – Additional White LED installation for ultra-low power lighting

Optimization of Solar Water Pumping System using Genetic Algorithms Scope: Development of algorithms Collection experimental results Simulation Modifications Solar Systems

Pump type: SOLASTAR positive displacement pump for low head applications (< 100 m) Maximum Power Point Tracking is provided by an algorithm that monitors potential and current from the pv array. System simulations for: Motor Pv array Optimisation: Analysis of conduction losses Power dissipations Other circuitry losses Solar Systems