Electricity

2023 - 3 - 23

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Business Insider Africa"

African countries with the cheapest household electricity prices (Business Insider Africa)

Factors like infrastructure, geography, and politically imposed taxes and levies, electricity prices vary greatly around the world and occasionally even ...

Below are the African countries which have the lowest electricity prices on the continent, according to Statista.com. The data platform recently released a data report on the cheapest household electricity prices globally, based on a survey time period of June 2022. When energy is expensive, households and businesses may be less likely to invest in energy-efficient technologies, such as LED lights and energy-efficient appliances. This can help businesses stay competitive and households keep their budgets in check. Furthermore cheap electricity can help create jobs. To begin with, it helps businesses and households save money on their energy bills.

Seven KZN police stations have inadequate alternative measures ... (Independent Online)

National Freedom Party leader in Parliament Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam asked Police Minister Bheki Cele what is the total number of police stations in KZN and ...

“The KwaZulu-Natal province has identified stations in need of generators, replacements to be attended to as intervention projects. If it cannot be repaired immediately, the contractor provides a back-up smaller generator. Some of these generators are old and need replacement.

Chronic electricity supply shortages dents ferrochrome production at ... (Independent Online)

Merafe Resources, the junior empowerment partner in a chrome joint venture with Glencore, said on Monday that attributable ferrochrome production increased ...

"On the positive side, the reopening of China after their zero Covid-19 policy suggests that there might be compensating increased economic activity from that region. The increased reliance on road transportation, combined with higher diesel cost has pushed this cost component higher," it said. Cost pressures continue to mount, and this resulted in the Glencore-Merafe Pooling and Sharing venture's unit production costs rising by an unprecedented 30% year-on-year," she said. The group had approached Eskom in 2021 for the NPA. The reliability of the electricity supply remains a serious concern. "The hike will certainly add more cost pressures.

AI writes article on state of SA's police and electricity crisis (TimesLIVE)

What happens if you let a supercomputer sieve through reports on topics likely to get South Africans' emotions running hot?

The police force has also been criticised for its handling of protests and demonstrations. While there are concerns about the sustainability of using fossil fuels to power the ship, it is clear the country needs to explore a range of options to address its immediate electricity needs. There have also been efforts to increase accountability within the police force. This has eroded public trust in the police and made it difficult for law-abiding citizens to feel safe. The use of a power ship is a temporary solution. However, it is clear the country will need to continue exploring a range of solutions, including power ships, to address its immediate electricity needs. However, supporters argue the power ship will provide much needed relief to the country’s electricity grid, which has been strained by years of underinvestment and neglect. However, there are also some concerns about the sustainability of using a power ship as a long-term solution. In 2021, South Africa announced it would be using a power ship to provide electricity to the country’s grid. One of the most important is to address Eskom’s financial and operational challenges. Additionally, there is a need for investment in the power sector, including the development of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. One of the most significant effects has been the impact on businesses.

Can You Really Pump Water Without Any Electricity? (WIRED)

To see if those videos of people conjuring liquid without any external power actually hold water, you'll need physics—and a straw.

Since some of the water has to be ejected at the lower end, the water source would eventually dry up. Of course, in this example the pump would be 100 percent efficient—and that never happens. First, the pump is lower than the water source, but the output is higher than the water source. Overall, with 10 kg going down 1 meter and 10 kg going up 1 meter, the net change in energy is … In the diagram I drew above, which is based on that video, the person is pumping water out of a river, which appears to be the source of the water. After that, some of the water (let's say 10 kilograms) is pumped up to a height of 1 meter above the original source, so that it increases in gravitational potential energy. And in this case, the source, not the pump, is the lowest level of the system. Maybe there's an electric pump submerged in the river and connected to the pipe. The other thing to look for is the wastewater. Second, every time water is pumped to a higher level, some water is ejected from the pump—that's the wastewater. But since the water is moving into a closed valve, it is redirected up past the other check valve, B, and causes the air space to be compressed. However, this moving water causes check valve A to close, which stops the water from exiting.

How do superconductors work? A physicist explains what it means ... (The Conversation AU)

Superconductors are materials that can transmit electricity without any resistance. Researchers are getting closer to creating superconducting materials ...

[5%](https://www.nrdc.org/bio/jennifer-chen/lost-transmission-worlds-biggest-machine-needs-update) of the power generated at a coal or solar power plant is lost as the electricity is transmitted from the plant to its final destination. The density of wires is often This amounts to a [US$6 billion loss annually](https://www.nrdc.org/bio/jennifer-chen/lost-transmission-worlds-biggest-machine-needs-update) in the U.S. This causes the electrons in the wire to try to move through the material. Electric toasters and older-style incandescent lightbulbs use resistance to produce heat and light, but resistance can pose [problems for electronics](https://resources.pcb.cadence.com/blog/2022-the-influence-of-the-joule-heating-effect-on-pcbs-and-ics). These collisions are what obstruct the flow of electrons, cause resistance and heat up the material. The nuclei of all atoms are constantly vibrating. [I am a physicist](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5gCcMuMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra) who investigates how superconductors work at the atomic level, how current flows at very low temperatures, and how applications such as levitation can be realized. [standard conductors](https://sciencenotes.org/examples-of-conductors-and-insulators/) of electricity – like copper or aluminum – which heat up when current passes through them. Another characteristic of superconductors is that they repel magnetic fields. They can generally succeed in moving through a wire freely, but every once in a while they collide with the nuclei of the material. Unfortunately, on average, about