Traffic lights to be converted to solar power

[The Cosmos]

January 25, 2008, 12:00

All traffic lights and public lights in the country are to be converted to solar power, with battery back-up. Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica has announced this as a part of what she called a "quick-hit" solution to address the country’s electricity supply crisis.

The cost of converting the public lights and robots will be about R400 million. Sonjica has also announced an electricity rationing programme that will include incentives and penalties, as well as quotas and exemptions.

She says a Power Conservation Programme will have an immediate quick hit solution that will reduce and depending on its successes, negate the need for load shedding.

The minister added: "This is an urgent intervention to help alleviate the problems being experienced with power outages. Countries like Cuba and Brazil have already proven that energy crisis could be turned around to make a country grow even more economically, and save substantial amounts of money if a nationwide energy efficiency drive is politically driven."

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,163052,00.html


That picture looks silly.....
There's been so many "delays"/arguments and whatnot with regards to solar energy, i doubt this will come off.

[McSack]

Fantastic! yet another inept, innefficient state institution thumps us in the nought for a couple of mil

I think solar is the way to go here, but why the hell centralise all contol of the implementation through a bunch of fskwits ?

[The Cosmos]

Yes i agree, solar energy defintely is the way to go.
As much things as possible must be made to rely on solar energy.

[waroop]

I think its great that we're shifting some energy resources onto solar.

We should probably shift street lights as well to self-contained, self-powered solar units, just like the ones you can buy from Makro except giant versions :D

[TiredOfWaiting]

Why not wind and solar? What happens when it's overcast? :confused:

Don't put all your eggs in one basket...

[timgaul]

And when the panels are stolen?

[The Cosmos]

back to candles ? :sick::o:eek:

[Skinner]

Nothing will come of this.

[McSack]

Why not wind and solar? What happens when it's overcast? :confused:

Don't put all your eggs in one basket...

the panels produce energy using UV radiation, not the "heat" of the sun, so even in overcast, rainy conditions the UV rays which penetrate the clouds will result in the panels producing charge.

[McSack]

And when the panels are stolen?

... large hammer...small nail... @tim smashes it
;)

[Obaht]

Oh man, we are in trouble!

Solar powered robots indeed!

You can just imagine these officials all sitting down at a table wringing their hands and brainstorming on what to do. Some fool says: "Let's install solar powered robots and that will solve the problem".

So they allocate half a billion to do the job and then 20 or so robots get converted if any, and the rest of the money goes into the pockets of corrupt officials and BEE companies.

Watch what happens to this stupid idea. It will NOT happen. Mark my words!

We are in a whole heap of dung if this is the best solution that our glorious leaders can come up with.

If I was bwana, I would be planning my move back to the the USA where they are not faced with this stupidity!

[TiredOfWaiting]

the panels produce energy using UV radiation, not the "heat" of the sun, so even in overcast, rainy conditions the UV rays which penetrate the clouds will result in the panels producing charge.

Just a LOT less. Rain is usually accompanied by wind, so it would make sense to use both solar panels and little wind turbines.

[Obaht]

.... and little wind turbines.


That is tooooooo funny!
:D

I can just imagine.

The problem is they will be stolen and rigged up to township shacks to provide power for said shacks inhabitants.

[nocilah]

solar panels store excess power in batteries. its nothing like your solar powered calculators and as someone pointed out solar panels work of UV light/energy and still work on overcast days.

i think its a superb initiative however would need to be an effective rollout for it to make a difference.

[McSack]

Just a LOT less. Rain is usually accompanied by wind, so it would make sense to use both solar panels and little wind turbines.

fair enough.

How well do solar panels work in cloudy conditions?

A cloudy day provides sufficient diffuse light by which the panel will produce electricity. Optimum electrical production occurs with bright and sunny weather conditions. Under a light overcast, the modules might produce about half as much as under full sun, ranging down to as little as five to ten percent under a dark overcast day. In remote, off-grid applications, a PV system is connected to a battery storage system as a backup power source
(http://www.solarhome.org/solarpanelsfaqs.html#faq8)

[McSack]

That is tooooooo funny!
:D

I can just imagine.

The problem is they will be stolen and rigged up to township shacks to provide power for said shacks inhabitants.

hmmm... what about that little one on top of my head :)

[bboy]

ridiculous idea

[daveza]

We may as well build bicycle dynamo's into the road.

This never going to happen - and if it does, some boetie of a politician will get the contract, he will steal most of it and it wont work anyway and the batteries will never be replaced..

And of course the taxpayer will foot the bill.

[Robin Hood]

We may as well build bicycle dynamo's into the road.

Bwhaaa haa haaa......:D:D

[Moederloos]

I see shacks built from solar panels in 3 years.
Townships are going to be alive with light!

[bekdik]

Is there a tender out for this or will simply be handed to a friend?

[general_koffi]

There are batteries for when not enough solar radiation is being absorbed...

But I worry about the panels being jacked. And of course it costs a bloody fortune, but I suppose they'd only find something else to spend our money on. At least this should help to keep traffic moving when the lights go out.

This is one of the few things solar might be good at in theory... Along with heating water. But generating large amounts of electrical current with solar is a prohibitively expensive pipe-dream.