Gobabeb is a small isolated research facility in the middle of the Namib Desert and thus must generate all of its own electricity for system users.

One of the main difficulties in designing an energy system for Gobabeb was being able to accommodate the large fluxes in station occupancy. Gobabeb generally houses a group of 30 residents who are reliant on power from the hybrid system. This includes day laborers, construction staff, interns, main station staff, and researchers. However, Gobabeb often plays host to large workshops and school groups ranging from 10 to 100 people. Thus it is possible to have occupancy of 20 people one week and occupancy of 120 people the next.

Gobabeb energy uses rely on the hybrid system mainly for the cooking and refrigeration of food, keeping cool during the hot days, personal appliances and electrical lighting. At the main station there is a network of computers, other audiovisual equipment, office equipment, and lab equipment that require power. These energy needs must be met for the individual, no matter how many individuals are at the station at a certain time. To cut back on the costs of these activities, Gobabeb has installed various low energy use alternatives to many of the appliances which residents rely on for daily use.

The consumption at Gobabeb consists of:

Non-personal consumption for offices, a conference hall, technical facilities, laundry(common) etc.

 

Personal consumption in residential units either by permanent staff or by visitors.

As part of the degreee project, meters have been installed allowing for metering of electricity consumption for these. These readings are to be used for two purposes, for energy management and for revenue collection.

This table show a summary of meter readings for the period February until June 2004. Please observe that the major part of the consumption is non-personal of which the so-called Main Station with offices and laboratories uses the most. These readings are before energy efficiency measures and before installation of the hybrid system

(link to EXCEL document)

Energy Consumption: The amount of energy consumed in the form in which it is acquired by the user.
Solar Energy: The radiant energy of the sun, which can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or electricity.
Wind Energy: Energy that is tapped from the natural movement of the air. Wind energy is considered a form of solar energy because wind is caused by variations in the amount of heat that the sun sends to different parts of the earth. It may be converted into electrical or mechanical power through the use of a wind turbine.