The Southern African Sustainable Energy Conference (SASEC 2024) focuses on researching, developing, and deploying methodologies, technologies, and systems related to sustainable energy within the Southern African context and beyond. This conference offers researchers, engineers, practitioners, decision-makers, and policymakers an opportunity to share and discuss recent developments in the field.

These proceedings provide a collection of the innovative research work presented at the conference from leading institutions of higher learning and research councils in South Africa, the Southern African Region, Africa, and globally on a wide range of topical renewable and sustainable energy themes. Topics covered include solar photovoltaic (PV) energy, solar thermal energy, wind energy, green hydrogen and Power2X, bioenergy and waste energy (thermochemical, biological, chemical, and physical conversation systems), the circularity of renewable energy technologies, power systems planning, demand side management, renewable energy resource assessments, and modeling and decision support tools, as well as just energy and decarbonization transitions.

• Presents current state-of-the-art research on sustainable energy;
• Discusses research challenges and opportunities in renewable energy;
• Explores entrepreneurship and commercialization in renewable energy innovation.

Presents current state-of-the-art research on sustainable energy Discusses research challenges and opportunities in renewable energy Explores entrepreneurship and commercialization in renewable energy innovation

Autorentext

Cristina Trois, Ph.D., was the Chair of the SASEC 2024 Conference. She is a Full Professor of Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University, in South Africa. Previously, she held the DSTI/NRF South African Research Chair in Waste and Climate Change (SARCHI) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), as well as the positions of former Dean and Head of the School of Engineering. She holds an MScEng (summa cum laude) and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the Department of Geo-Engineering and Environmental Technology of Cagliari University, Italy. Professor Trois is a C1-rated scientist with the National Research Foundation. Her main fields of expertise include environmental and geo-engineering, sustainability transitions, Just Energy Transitions, renewable energy from waste, biomass energy, greenhouse gas control from zero waste in Africa and developing countries, the circular economy, waste and climate change in sustainable cities, waste and resource management, and the water-energy-food nexus. Professor Trois is the editor of Springer's Waste as a Resource book series and co-editor of the book Waste Management in Developing Countries (Springer, 2022). She is the author of over 130 publications in high-impact journals and has successfully supervised more than 100 Ph.D. and Master's students. Professor Trois is a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineers (SAAE) and the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).

Richmore Kaseke, Ph.D., was the Scientific Secretary of the SASEC 2024 Conference. Dr. Kaseke has been the Manager of Strategic Partnerships at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) since October 2024. Previously, he served as Project Manager and Senior Research Engineer for the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) Renewable Energy Hub and Spokes Program at the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) at Stellenbosch University. Dr. Kaseke is a Certified Energy Manager and Certified Measurement and Verification Professional. He holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Fort Hare in South Africa.

John Edison Sempiira, Ph.D., was the scientific editor for the SASEC 2024 Conference Proceedings. Dr. Sempiira is a research fellow with the Center for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies at Stellenbosch University. His research focuses on organic waste valorization for resource recovery and new product development, with an interest in sustainable energy development. Dr. John Sempiira holds a Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from the University of Georgia in Athens, USA. He is an active member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and a member of the International Waste Working Group.

Inhalt

Sustainable Energy in Africa.- Solar Thermal Energy Systems.- Solar PV Energy Systems.- Wind Energy Systems.- Green Hydrogen and Power2X.- Critical Materials, End-of-Life Options and Circularity of Renewable Energy Technologies.- Bioenergy and Waste-to-Energy.- Just Energy and Decarbonization Transitions.- Power Systems Planning, Operations and Demand Side Management.- Renewable Energy Resource Assessment, Deployment, Modeling, and Decision Support.