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26 May 2020 | Story Valentino Ndaba | Photo iStock
UFS campuses are transforming into research instruments while simultaneously improving campus operations through the Smart Grid initiative.

Imagine living in a smart home. Imagine monitoring your household’s electricity usage via an integrated system that would notify you of your daily electricity use, peak usage times, and tariffs and consumption at the location of the house. As a user, you would be able to take advantage of such information in order to manage your resources in a more efficient manner. This is just one example of what a Smart Grid can do.

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences has teamed up with the Department of University Estates to drive our very own Smart Grid initiative that is transforming the university’s power network into one with full control and monitoring. “A Smart Grid allows for resource optimisation and asset protection, especially in times like these,” said Nicolaas Esterhuysen, Director of Engineering Services. 

Why is it important for our university to have a Smart Grid?
Dr Jacques Maritz, Lecturer of Engineering Sciences at the Faculty, considers a Smart Grid the natural evolution of power grids in the era of Big Data, IoT and Machine Learning. Resources such as electricity, water and steam can now be monitored and controlled to promote savings and the protection of valuable infrastructure. “Aiming towards Smart Grid status, the UFS will improve resource service-delivery to its staff and students, while sculpting a digital twin of its campus’s power grid, consumer network and resource generators,” he added.
  
How will a Smart Grid improve student success?
The integrity, sustainability and continuous supply of energy directly affects the academic project on all three campuses. The implementation of a Smart Grid could allow improved service delivery and reaction time when any utility is interrupted, as well as maintaining the valuable infrastructure that serves the UFS community.

In what way does a Smart Grid improve the lives of staff members?
According to Dr Maritz  and Esterhuysen: “A Smart Grid will support staff to perform their teaching and research duties in a seamless manner, continuously optimising the energy that they consume to enable full comfort and reliability in energy supply, whilst simultaneously generating savings in energy and preventing wastage.”

The UFS already boasts most of the fundamental building blocks associated with the Smart Grid initiative, especially focusing on monitoring, grid protection, centralised and decentralised solar PV generation and software platforms to serve all these domains. However, to integrate all of these domains into one digital real-time paradigm will be a first for the UFS.

Some examples of the UFS smart grid applications currently in practice
Real-time remote monitoring and control that focuses on the following:
- We are able to detect power outages and don’t have to rely on customer complaints. This enables faster response time and fault identification, thus less downtime and an increase in reliability;
- Solar plant generation; 
- Monitoring our standby generation fleet; 
Identifying usage patterns and saving thereof;
Benchmarking buildings in terms of application usage, area or occupancy to determine energy efficiency and identify savings; and condition-based preventive maintenance that will increase reliability while saving costs.

News Archive

UFS Qwaqwa campus sets deadline for applications
2004-11-11

The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Qwaqwa campus is preparing for the first round of applications for admittance to study in 2005. The closing date for applications is 30 November 2004.

“This applies to first-year students, senior students who have interrupted their studies for at least one year and undergraduate students from other educational institutions,” said Mr Vernon Collett, Registrar: Academic Student Services at the UFS.

According to Mr Collett, all applications that are received after 30 November 2004 and up to no later than 1 February 2005, will be regarded as pending.

“Since student numbers are now limited by government policy and depending on availability in educational programmes, these applications will be subject to consideration by the relevant dean,” said Mr Collett.

Prospective students who want to apply must pay a non-refundable fee of R100 into a designated account, which will be provided when the application form is sent to them. The signed application form must be accompanied by a certified copy of the prospective student’s identity document or passport and a proof of payment of the application fee. The application form of a minor must be signed by his/her parent or guardian and the field of study should be clearly indicated.

“A total of 2088 students are registered at the UFS’ Qwaqwa campus this year. We expect a considerable amount of applications and foresee that our numbers for next year will be similar to what it is now,” said Mr Collett.

First-time entering first-year students will be welcomed by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Frederick Fourie, on 15 January 2005 at 11:00 in the Nelson Mandela Hall on campus.

Prospective students who want to apply or who have any enquiries can call (058) 718-5000 or visit the UFS’ Qwaqwa campus web site at www.uovs.ac.za.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
11 November 2004

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