Van Vuuren, Dirk Johan (PhD)
Dirk van Vuuren was born on 13 December 1989. He matriculated from Hoërskool Bastion in 2008 where after he enrolled at the University of Johannesburg in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He obtained his BIng degree in 2013. He went on to obtain his MEng ( cum laude ) in Mechanical Engineering at the same institution. After working in industry for two years, he pursued a doctoral qualification in Engineering Management. Dirk’s MEng and doctoral research has resulted in numerous publications and presentations to international audiences. He is currently a lecturer at the University of Pretoria. The candidate’s research explores the implementation of photovoltaic systems within South Africa. The research was motivated by the anticipated photovoltaic growth the country will experience in the near future, and the increased risk of investment failure or legal disputes from insufficient knowledge by investors and engineering, procurement and construction companies. Contributing to the present body of knowledge in academia and industry, a pre-assessment process was developed that may be used to mitigate the associated risks. Furthermore, it could assist in estimating the electricity yield, and subsequent return on investment, from a photovoltaic system before construction commences. In developing the process, yield simulations were conducted and compared to a case study over a predefined period. The proposed process incorporates the three main variables that affect the electrical yield of a photovoltaic system, namely: the angle of inclination of the photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic module degradation over the lifespan of the system, and increased array-to-inverter ratio.
Supervisor: Prof A Marnewick Co-Supervisor: Prof JHC Pretorius
133
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker