the-conversation

Getting to the venue.

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:48:45 +0100

You need to get to Menzies building on UCT campus (http://www.uct.ac.za/images/uct.ac.za/contact/campusmaps/big/upper.jpg). There are a number of parking areas around campus - ask one of the security guards for advice if you need to. Find your way to the top entrance (off Engineering Mall) and into the elevator. Go up to the 6th floor. Once there you should go through the glass doors on the right into the Dean’s suite. There are 2 or 3 stairs there to go up and then the venue is on the left.

See you there 5 for 5.30 Wednesday!

The Annual presentation

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:33:52 +0100

Our first Scholar, Gaby Coppez, graduated from UCT with an MSc at the end of 2011, and a second DBREV Scholarship has been awarded to Riaan Opperman of NMMU. We are pleased to inform you of an opportunity to hear these two DBREV Scholars talk about their projects.

Wednesday 11 April 2012, 5 for 5.30pm

Venue: The John Martin Room, Room 600, 6th Level, Menzies Building, Library Road, Upper Campus, UCT, Cape Town – directions will be posted here closer to the time.

Please RSVP to dave@gale.za.net by 9 April 2012 latest.

A copy of Riaan's project proposal can be found here.

A copy of Gaby's thesis can be found here.

DTI: switching to renewable energy a matter of survival for South African exporters

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:29:12 +0100

Today's Business Day has an article which provides some food for thought as the world struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of the recent economic downturn.

read it here.

The 1st DBREV Scholar completes her studies

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:32:45 +0100

On Friday 21 October 2011, after the Selection Panel had met to review applications for the 2012 Scholarship award, Gaby Coppez the first DBREV Scholar handed over a copy of her thesis to Board member Helene van der Merwe.

The torch is about to be passed on.

In memory of Doug Banks, "a man of passion for Africa, its people, rural electrification and renewable energy".

2012 Scholarship applications now open!

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:15:02 +0100

Applications are now open for undergraduates to apply to become a DBREV scholar. Gaby is wrapping up her thesis, hoping to hand in by the end of August 2011 and graduate with an MSc at the end of 2011. It is time to find the next scholar to take up the baton.

We're hoping to see the same high level of applicants we saw in 2009 which will allow us to award a scholarship to a deserving individual by December 2011 to start their studies early in 2012.

See the "Apply Now!" page on the website for more details.

Please spread the word far and wide to all SA citizens and permanent residents!

DBREV Seminar at UCT - February 2001

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:35:40 +0100

On the 2nd of February 2011, approximately 30 people gathered in Room EM303 in the Engineering Faculty at UCT to hear Gaby Coppez, the first Doug Banks Scholar present on the progress she has made so far with her Master's thesis and share her plans for the year ahead. Once everyone had sampled the refreshments and we'd managed to persuade the workers renovating the building to take an extended lunch break, Gaby was able to share her thoughts with us.

Through her thesis, entitled "Modeling and Simulation of Hybrid Renewable Energy Generation Systems for Rural Electrification" she hopes to contribute towards the use of RE in rural areas. Focusing on the use of Solar and Wind energy and batteries as a storage mechanism, Gaby aims to create a software tool "where the load profile for an area can be input along with the climatic data in terms of solar irradiance and temperatures as well as average wind speeds for the area and the tool will calculate the sizes of wind and solar sources required as well as the size of the battery required."

To learn more about her methodology, the 5 research papers she has either authored or co-authored over the past year, as well as the 2 international conferences she was able to attend with support from DBREV, download her slides here.

It was good to see folk from UCT's ERC there, as well as friends and family of both Gaby and of Doug. Jason Schaffler arranged a trip down from Joburg around the date and Sifiso Dlamini, GM of NuRa (the rural RE utility that Doug was instrumental in starting), flew down for the occasion. The usual lively banter and debate between Maties and Ikeys was not absent. It was especially gratifying to see Doug's parents Jane and Ian, who had traveled through from McGregor, chatting to Gaby's parents Rina & Bernard after the seminar had wound down.

Those of us who wish to see the torch that Doug carried for RE move forward into areas of need are encouraged. Now we need to build a resource that can sustain the work.

Dave Gale

February 2011

Gaby out of the blocks at a gallop!

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:24:44 +0100

Although one is tempted to wonder where the first half of 2010 has gone, mid-winter has passed and the days are slowly getting longer. The Soccer World Cup 2010 is almost done and dusted and we've surprised the world media and the visiting tourists with the great experience they've had and made our critics eat their words.

July 4th was 2 years since Doug passed away. Helene and the family are slowly adjusting to a different rhythm of life without a husband and father.

And the first DBREV scholar has been busily beavering away at her research!

Wendy Annecke (Gaby's DBREV main mentor) and I met briefly at Forries a week or so back and I was pleasantly surprised to find that she has not only settled in to post-grad life, but has been producing research papers, two of which she hopes to present at two international IEEE Renewable Energy conferences coming up soon:

The first is the 45th International Universities' Power Engineering Conference (UPEC 2010) in Cardiff, Wales 31st August - 3rd September 2010. This is a long-established conference, which is very popular with young researchers, PhD students and engineers from the power industry. It allows participants to exchange experiences and discuss the most up-to-date topics in power engineering.

The second is PowerCon in Hangzhou, China on October 24-28, 2010. Gaby hopes to be able to arrange some field trips to local RE installations while she is there. if you have suggestions or contacts for her, please let us know.

Both papers are review papers with an emphasis on energy storage and the importance of batteries within RE systems. There are many similarities between the two papers, but each paper has a separate emphasis, the UPEC paper on modelling battery storage within a hybrid RE system context and the PowerCon paper with an emphasis on battery controllers within the same context.

We hope to be able to have her present at least one of the papers and then give us some feed back on the trips later in the year.

Keep up the good work Gaby. You can keep track of her progress and catch some of her thoughts on RE at a blog she has started at : http://www.gabyelectrification.blogspot.com/ - drop in from time to time and leave some thoughts and encouragement for her in the comments. Will be great to see some discussion and debate there which will help her focus her research.

DBREV Scholarship applicant looking for some work experience

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:02:26 +0100

Oison Tummon was a close contender for the DBREV scholarship. He approached me recently asking for assistance in securing some work experience until August 2010. I suggested he draft an "ad" to be placed here. If you think you can assist him, please contact him directly - his details you will find below.
rgds,
Dave

To all in the Renewable Energies Sector

I have recently found my passion and vocation in life; I am desperately keen to develop sustainable energy in South Africa. I am passionate about sustainable energy production and intend pursuing a career in this field. To this end, I have applied to a number of master's courses in sustainable energy engineering, at top international universities. As these programs only begin in mid-August next year, I am seeking employment over the next seven months, more specifically from January 2010 to August 2010. I will graduate on 14 December 2009 with BSc (Eng) 1st Class in Mechanical Engineering from UCT.

I am looking for any form of experience in the development of renewable energy systems in South Africa. The emphasis for me would be on my development through a contribution to projects being run as opposed to short term financial gain. I am a hard working individual and would consider working for a very competitive salary if offered an opportunity. I have some good work experience and have good references. I believe I can contribute in a wide range of areas and am very keen to contribute to development in this sector.

I believe I have a good grounding with my degree and am eager to learn further. I strive for quality in everything I do and believe in the importance of professionalism. I have good computer skills and am confident in a range of programs.

I would greatly appreciate if you would give some consideration, to whether I could be of some service to you over this period. I would of course give serious thought to working for you after my masters, should this be to our mutual benefit. I am available for interview at your convenience.

Oisin Tummon

Oisin.Tummon(at)gmail.com
Tel: +27 (0)21 6855337
+27 (0)21 7972810
Cell: +27 (0)83 3579949

Press Coverage of award.

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:06:05 +0100

I'll post details of publications that publish details of the award as I become aware of them.

REEEP posted details on their blog.
Energize e-News included an article in their latest newsletter (14 December 2009).

Congratulations to our first DBREV scholar, Gaby Coppez.

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:05:08 +0100

The selection panel did not have any easy time of it, despite having developed a scoring system which included not only academic track record but alignment to DBREV goals, appreciation of the technical and social aspects of RE, and level of commitment, among other factors.

The points separating the final candidates were not that disparate, but in the end Gaby Coppez's involvement in community work and affinity for teaching clinched it. The Board of Trustees would like to extend warm congratulations to Gaby and wish her all the best for the years ahead as we support her in starting a career in Renewable Energy. We'd also like to thank all those who went to the effort of applying and are obviously committed to careers in Renewable Energy; we'd love to be able to extend financial and mentorship aid to far more then one person, but at this early stage, we cannot. May we encourage you to stay in touch, join us in whatever forum discussions and events we stage, and consider applying again next year.

regards,
Dave Gale

The following press release has been sent out to a number of publications today:

Renewable Energy Trust nurtures intellectual capital.

Doug Banks Renewable Energy Vision Trust awards first scholarship

Cape Town – [2009/11/09]

Gabrielle Coppez, a young engineering graduate of UCT is the first recipient of the Doug Banks Renewable Energy Vision (DBREV) scholarship for post-graduate study in Renewable Energy. The scholarship will cover fees and living expenses for a two year period at a South African university, with additional funding for equipment, field work and research related travel.

The DBREV Trust, formed in memory of the late Dr Doug Banks, intends to award the scholarship on an annual basis to a young graduate who exhibits not only strong academic ability, but a passion for realising the potential of renewable energy in meeting Africa's energy needs. By stimulating the intellectual capital in the local Renewable Energy sector, the DBREV Trust hopes to perpetuate the vision of Dr Banks for greater use of appropriate and sustainable energy supplies, particularly in rural areas. “The thing that really excites me about this is that it’s not just about funding someone’s studies, but that it’s about them being mentored, about them catching the dream, about them seeing how other people are already involved in this area and learning from them. I think that that makes this a really special scholarship” Coppez enthuses. Dave Gale, chairman of the DBREV Trust confirms this; “a diverse group of renewable energy experts, some of whom knew Doug well, have committed themselves to make time available to give guidance and encouragement to the recipient.” Many of the nearly 30 applicants stated that it was this in particular which drew them to the scholarship.

Coppez (24) graduated with honours from UCT in 2006 with a BSc (Mechatronics). She has been employed since then as an Automation and Instrumentation Engineer with Marine and Mineral Projects in Cape Town. Through her community work with The Warehouse, a Cape Town based non-profit organisation and outreach work in Rwanda, Ms Coppez came to see the potential for renewable energy to impact on the lives of the disadvantaged in Africa.

“We are confident that in Gabrielle, we have found someone who will pick up the torch that Doug carried and carry the flame. The selection panel were impressed by the quality of the applicants. “The contest between the final shortlist was tight”, reports Gale, “but it was Gabrielle's track record with community work, her empathy for rural Africa and her willingness to in turn mentor others that clinched it for her”.

Ms Coppez will be registering for a thesis based MSc at UCT. She intends developing a modelling tool to assist in determining the most appropriate mix of renewable energy solutions in any given rural area. She will be expected to publish the results of her work during the course of her studies, and participate in the annual Doug Banks Memorial lecture, as well as being involved in relevant projects which will enhance and support her research.

The DBREV mentorship programme has yet to be finalised, with the Trust exploring various options for developing and expanding this resource. To date, funds have been donated by private individuals, the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES), the Anglo American Chairman's fund, E+Co, Restio Energy, SetSolar and Kraftwork. Anyone wishing to contribute through mentorship or funding should contact the Trust through their website (http://dougbanks.co.za).