Electrical Engineering Department

The world’s increasing reliance on electricity as the primary form of energy is not just a trend, but a crucial indicator of human progress. Whether the energy is sourced from fossil fuels or renewables, high-voltage technology plays a pivotal role in its efficient distribution and utilization, making our proposal for the High Voltage Technology Centre of Excellence (HTCE) all the more relevant and timely. VUT has the best-equipped university high-voltage lab among all universities in South Africa and the subcontinent south of the Sahara. It is equipped with multi-million state-of-the-art equipment. The lab is being proposed to the High Voltage Technology Centre of Excellence (HTCE) as one of the catalytic projects, part of the ongoing organisational refinement process. The financially self-sustainable business will consist of contract research, postgraduate research (master and doctoral), and ultimately, accredited product certification services.

Part of the High Voltage Laboratory

The Electrical Engineering Department also host the Centre of Alternative Energy. The centre research on renewable energy technologies which includes wind and solar electrical energy sources, battery storage as well as hydrogen energy storage. In that regard, there is an open-air laboratory comprising a weather station and rooftop PV panels that are grid-tied. There is a hydrogen fuel cell laboratory for advancing the storage of green electrical energy in hydrogen. The centre offers an MEng qualification in energy efficiency as well as a PhD.

Roof-top open air alternative energy laboratory