Education

Unilorin, US firm mull renewable wind energy solution

…VC advocates innovation for yam preservation

 

The University of Ilorin has scored another high as experts in renewable wind energy solution from the United States of America have indicated interest to partner the institution to enable the university migrate from diesel/petroleum based generators, to Venturi wind based renewable energy solution.
Upon completion, the Venturi wind based renewable energy will provide 24-hour clean and green renewable energy for the university’s community.
Venturi Renewable Energy Solution is an electrical power plant driven by wind that designs, develops, and manufactures green energy producing system.
In separate presentations at the Unilorin Central Research Laboratory Conference Room, by Venturi Energy Ltd and Venturi Energy and Wind Sciences Ltd, both franchises of Venturi, a US-based company, the experts said the revolutionary technology produces clean electricity with a perfect sinewave which means the university would require less energy to power all the appliances in the institution with very low maintenance.
On the benefit of Venturi and a Public, Private Arrangement (PPA) agreement, their proposals say the university would be using less energy to power all the appliances in the university. Adding that, using less energy reduces the monthly expenses with over 40 per cent or more savings.
According to the proposals, the clean green renewable energy will help to reduce pollution and eliminate the need for fossil fuels, the university would be protected against market variability, the university may also be able to sell power back to the grid.
Another major benefit to the university is that all operating costs, maintenance and servicing would be covered for the period of the PPA.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), Prof Fatai Sule, said that the technology is cool and it’s a green energy.
Sule said that there was a commitment by the management to look for alternative energy solution, saying that the two teams came with a new concept of wind based renewable energy solution that could solve the immediate problem of the institution and which does not have so many hazards.
He said it would be nice to see the University of Ilorin as the first institution to use green energy in generating and serving the university’s community among the nation’s universities.
Also, the Director of Unilorin Renewable Energy Centre (UREC), Prof J.O. Olaoye, said that his team would see how the University can also have control over the technical use of the system.
He said the agreement must ensure that researchers and students of the university must also be part of the building process.
Olaoye pointed out that “the presentations from both parties was to help the University to eliminate dependence on diesel /fuel, and with time we could eventually connect with the national grid to the point where we can also have a way of selling out the energy generated for other users.
“We need to work with the details because we need some technical details that will work with the wind condition of our environment. We know the product is good but we must assess the wind condition of the university community before we could conclude on whether the proposals would be acceptable.”
The proposal of the Venturi Energy and Wind Sciences Ltd was presented by their Sales Representatives, Mr. S. K. Oluwatobi and Mr. A. Jiwa, while that of the Venturi Energy Limited team was presented by Mr. Olusola Oyinloye and Mr. I. B. Adewole.


…VC advocates innovation for yam preservation

The Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, has called on agricultural engineers to proffer modern techniques and innovations to improve the preservation of yam in the country.
The Vice Chancellor made the call while receiving representatives of the Nigerian Institute of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE).
Prof. Abdulkareem said the unavailability of modern innovation was the reason good quality yam is barely available after its harvest season.
He indicated that these new techniques would make yam wastage a thing of the past and improve farmers yield.
“Agricultural engineers should make life easier for the farmers. It is a shame that farmers still have to climb the palm tree in this age to tap wine in spite of the technology available to us.
“You should ensure that farming is technologically-driven by coming up with indigenous solutions that will be cheap; yet serves the same purpose as the foreign technology,” Abdulkareem said.
The Vice Chancellor also advised NIAE to utilise the technology that could be sourced locally as this will contribute to the wealth of farmers.

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