Developing Sustainable Off-Grid Energy-Water Solutions for Off-Grid Communities in Africa

Lecture Topic: Developing Sustainable Off-Grid Energy-Water Solutions for Off-Grid Communities in Africa
Expert: Jianwei Ren
Date: October 9, 2025
Time: 10:00
Location: Energy and Power Building, Room 1517
Organizer: Energy Research Institute

Speaker Profile:
Prof. Jianwei Ren is a full professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Pretoria (UP) and serves as the Deputy Director of the Institute of Applied Materials (IAM). His research spans materials science and advanced manufacturing, automated measurement and control, hydrogen energy and fuel cell technologies, and environmental engineering for sustainable development. He is a registered professional with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNSP) and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), and holds an NRF B-Rating as a "Researcher" from the National Research Foundation of South Africa. He has published over 70 SCI-indexed papers in the energy field, cited more than 7,000 times. He also serves as a project reviewer for organizations such as the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the European Science Foundation, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Research Expertise: Hydrogen energy, energy storage, and environmental materials.

Lecture Summary:
Energy and water scarcity in off-grid areas of Africa pose significant barriers to sustainable development. This lecture will begin with a brief overview of South Africa's developmental history, followed by a discussion of two innovative off-grid solutions designed to address these challenges: a metal-organic framework (MOF)-based atmospheric water harvesting system and an integrated solar–battery–fuel cell energy system. The first approach utilizes MOF materials to extract moisture from the atmosphere, offering a distributed and renewable water source for arid regions. The second method integrates solar energy with battery storage, a high-temperature electrolyzer, a steam–iron hydrogen storage process, and a solid oxide fuel cell stack to create a comprehensive system for sustainable energy generation, storage, and conversion. Promoting the adoption of these technologies in off-grid African settings holds the potential to significantly improve access to energy and water in underserved communities.

Faculty and students are welcome to attend!