The Demonstration
Gobabeb of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (degreee) program
has been developed over a 5 year period. Funded by the Danish
Government through Danida, the Degreee project addresses the energy
situation at Gobabeb.
The wider objective with the degreee project is to demonstrate energy technology,
energy efficiency and energy management with the purpose of inspiring others to
apply these and by that contribute to the supply of energy to remote, isolated
locations in Namibia and SADC.
The project combines the four elements of sustainable energy.
That is:
application of energy efficient technology (including renewable
energy)
energy management,
energy awareness and revenue collection(that is payment according
to metered consumption)
Hybrid System
The Degreee project brought to Gobabeb a
Hybrid
Energy system. This system allowed Gobabeb to switch over from
18 hour diesel power generation to a system of 24 hour power made up of a combination
of solar, wind, and diesel generation. This system allowed the station to cut
back its diesel usage by 83 percent, and serves as an example to Namibia and
all of SADC of how renewable energy sources can be used to achieve a sustainable
system of low cost, low environmental impact electrical generation.
The Hybrid system does not function on its own, but is part of the larger Gobabeb
Energy System.
This system incorporates:
Project History
The project was initiated to demonstrate solutions
to remote energy supply using Gobabeb as an example. Being an isolated research
station, Gobabeb was far from the main power grid, making extension a non-option.
Before the Degreee program, Gobabeb was generating power through the use of
two diesel generators, but this was economically expensive and environmentally
harmful. As a center of environmental research Gobabeb initiated the Degreee
project to find a cost effective and environmentally sustainable source of energy.
Definitions
Hybrid Energy System: a system of electrical
generation that incorporates a renewable source and combines it
with a fossil fuel generator.
Renewable Energy: Energy derived from resources that are regenerative,
or for all practical purposes cannot be depleted. Types of renewable energy
resources include moving water (hydro, tidal, and wave power), thermal gradients
in ocean water, biomass, geothermal energy, solar energy, and wind energy.
Fossil Fuel: A carbon or hydrocarbon fuel formed
in the ground from the remains of dead plants and animals. It
takes millions of years to form fossil fuels. Oil, natural gas,
and coal are fossil fuels.
The Demonstration
Gobabeb of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (degreee) program
has been developed over a 5 year period. Funded by the Danish
Government through Danida, the Degreee project addresses the energy
situation at Gobabeb. 
Energy
management system