The Southern African Association for Energy Efficiency

New Board for the office term 2010/2011

The SAEE has the pleasure in announcing the 6 new successful candidates for the election of serving the Board for the office term of 2010/2011, as elected by the SAEE members.
Congratulations to these individuals, and welcome to the SAEE.

Prof. L.J. Grobler

LJ Grobler is professor in Mechanical Engineering at the School for Mechanical Engineering at the North-west University. He is a director of the company Energy Cybernetics Pty Ltd.

He was the 2007/8 President of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) based in Atlanta, USA. He was the first non-American to become president.

He is President of the Southern African Association for Energy Efficiency (SAEE). The SAEE is the local chapter of the AEE.

He is certified as an Energy Manager (CEM) and a Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) based in the USA. He is registered as a professional engineer (Pr Eng) with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and received his Ph.D. at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

LJ has authored and co-authored more than 40 local and international articles on energy related topics. He has also presented and co-presented more than 50 papers at local and international conferences and seminars on energy topics. He has conducted more than 100 industrial and commercial energy audits.

Mr. Karel Steyn

Mr. Karel Steyn, Pr Tech (Eng), Pr Techni (Eng), C.E.M., C.M.V.P. and B.E.P., has been managing the Measurement and Verification (M&V) function on the Eskom Demand Side Management (DSM) program, on behalf of NERSA, since 2005. He is certified by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) in the USA, as a Certified Energy Manager since 2002, a Certified Measurement and Verification Professional and also as a Certified Business Energy Professional. He is registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and has formal qualifications in Marketing. He also sits on the Southern African CEM Evaluation Committee, the SAEE Scholarship Committee and chairs the M&V Steering Committee.

He is currently a board member of the Southern African Association for Energy Efficiency (SAEE), is a member of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) in the USA, South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAiEE) and the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM).

Karel has been active in the energy field for the past 20 years. His initial focus was on the Agricultural sector and thereafter the commercial and industrial sectors. During this period he received more than 12 awards for work done as an energy advisor, a high performer, as well as awards for innovation. Karel also spend a short period assisting some of his family, worldwide specialists in continues emissions monitoring and solutions, who is working from the USA.

He made many presentations related to energy efficiency, energy management and M&V. He has a passion for energy management, the measurement & verification thereon and related aspects such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Ms Lisa Reynolds

Lisa Reynolds has a BSc (Chemistry) from University of Witwatersrand) and has a MBA from the University of Hull. She achieved her CEM in 2005.

Lisa has worked in the insulation and interior building industry for 12 years. In 2002, she became involved in fire and energy standards and in rewriting of the building code (SANS 10400).

In March 2009, the Technical Committee began Edition 2 of the SANS 204 series and Lisa is once again the Chairperson of the Working Groups responsible for the drafting of these standards. Lisa is a member of the Technical Working Group for the Green Building Council of SA which drafted the Green Star rating tool for Offices (Published October 2008) and which is busy with the drafting of the Green Star rating tool for Retail.

She served on the SAEE Board and other bodies including those at the SABS. She is actively involved in writing the energy efficiency standards for buildings and industry:

Served as research steering committee member for DME research projects; served on a committee recommending interventions for condensation preventions in low cost housing in the South Cape area; working with Eskom’s Demand Side Management department on projects; Energy Efficiency (and insulation) training for specifiers, project engineers, developers, end users and other stakeholders; Associate member of SAAE’s (South African Association of ESCO’s).

Dr Tsakani Mthombeni

Dr Tsakani Mthombeni currently holds the position of Senior Energy Engineer within Anglo Technical Division of Anglo American. He previously worked within the Demand Side Management in the Distribution division of Eskom as a technical leader. He was also a co-chair of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Demand Side Management working group. Prior to joining Eskom, he was a research officer at the University of Cape Town in the Department of Electrical Engineering with the Advanced Machines and Energy Systems research team.

Dr Mthombeni holds a BSc (Hons.) Elec. Eng from the University of Cape Town and MSc and PhD degrees from Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York, both in electrical engineering. He also holds a Management Development Program (MDP) certificate from Gordon Institute of Business School, through the University of Pretoria and successfully wrote the Certified Energy Manager (CEM) exam (and is awaiting induction).

His research interests are in motor drive efficiencies, and he has published ten articles for IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) Energy Conversion, Industrial Applications and Industrial Electronics Transactions

He serves as an external examiner (power engineering exams and MSc thesis projects) for the University of Pretoria. He also sits in review panels for the National Research Foundation (NRF). Dr. Mthombeni is a member of the IEEE, SAIEE, SANEA and SAEE.

Mr Sydney Zeederberg

Sydney Zeederberg holds a BSc degree in Chemical Engineering (1979) from the University of Pretoria and a MBL degree from UNISA (1987). He is a Certified Energy Manager.

At present he is a Chief Process Engineer at Sasol Synfuels responsible for the energy efficiency improvement initiative. He has been working for Sasol since 1980 where he has occupied roles in Production, Business Development, Project Management and Technology Management. He has been leading the Sasol Synfuels Energy Efficiency drive for the last 5 years where he has developed an energy efficiency/co-generation project pipeline in excess of 1000MW.

Sydney has earned a reputation over many years as a process expert, energy manager and mentor of young engineers. His process knowledge, business knowledge, insight, big picture perspective and a unique level of creativity made of him an excellent developer of new concepts and innovative ways to improve energy efficiency. He is world class in this field.

Mr Hope Nga Mashele

Hope holds a BSc Eng from Natal, a DMM from UNISA and a MAP from Wits Business School. He is also a registered CEM.

He has a long trusting calling in the energy industry which consists of; his career started at Siemens Telecoms working as Candidate Engineer; ABB Powertech Transformers being employed as Contracts and Projects Engineer; Actaris Metering Systems working as Project Manager, Vikinduku Engineering & Projects being the General Manager and a senior consultant, leading to where he currently is a National Energy Manager managing the Telkom Facilities at TFMC.

Hope performed a number of energy-efficiency related projects with Eskom DSM and also established Energy Management Dept in TFMC (1 CMVP, 3 CEM and 4 CEA professional candidates).

He is a member of SAEE, a registered Professional Engineer with Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and a council member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE).