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CTS has supplied 21 weather stations for the Biota research project. These weather stations are designed according to world meteorological standard.

Each station consists of:

• Wind Speed and Direction Sensor
• Irradiance Sensor
• Humidity/Ambient Temperature Sensor
• Barometric Pressure Sensor
• Ground Temperature Sensor
• Leaf Wetness Sensor
• Rain Bucket

The weather stations are equipment with the CR1000 logger from Campbell Scientific. Special software has been developed to allow automatic transmission of the weather data to a server based in Germany via GPRS using the local GSM network. Software updates can be done remotely minimizing travel.

Weather data can be viewed at: www.sasscalweathernet.org 

CTS was approached by the Botswana Meteorological Department and the University of Hamburg with the request to install automatic weather stations across Botswana. A total of 10 stations were engineered and build at our workshop in Windhoek prior to installation commencement. With our own tower design, the installation time is reduced to nearly 8 hours per tower.

The stations are equipped with sensors from Vaisala, Kipp and Zonen. At the heart of each station is the CR1000 logger from Campbell Scientific. Each station is capable to measure the following:

• Wind speed
• Wind direction
• Humidity
• Air Temperature
• Irradiance
• Barometric pressure
• Ground Temperature
• Rain
• Leaf wetness

In addition to the above parameters the following parameters are calculated by the logger by means of mathematical models.

• Dew point temperature
• Wet bulb temperature
• Sunshine duration

The data from the station is transmitted to ftp servers situated in Gaborone/Botswana as well as Hamburg/Germany on an hourly bases over locally available GSM network providers. Once the data is uploaded to the server in Hamburg, it is processed and posted on a publicly available website. This website collects data of numerous stations across Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Angola and South Africa for research purposes. A total of 8000km was covered in just under 4 weeks.

Ministry of Agriculture through, through SASSCAL funding, did acquire 3 automatic weather stations in 2018 which where finally installed in 2019 after sites have been determined. These stations from part of the existing SASSCAL weather station network that has been established over the past years. All stations conform to SASSCAL requirements and are inline with WMO standards.

The stations are installed at :

• Dudukabe (Zambezi)
• Okalongo (Ohangwena)
• Omafo (Ohangwena)

Station info can be obtained from www.sasscalweathernet.org

The University of Hamburg approached CTS directly with the request to quote and subsequently manufacture and install 3 automatic weather stations at:

• Khorixas
• Kaoko Otavi
• Okangwati

Once again, satellite communication has been chosen, this time not because of GSM not being available, but to reduce future cost of the stations as satellite communication for these stations has got no costs associated.

In addition to the basic data measured:

• Wind speed
• Wind direction
• Humidity
• Air Temperature
• Irradiance
• Barometric pressure
• Ground Temperature
• Rain
• Leaf wetness

The stations are equipped with a WLAN interface. This allows the connection of 49″ SmartTV to be connected to each station to display the current weather inside close by offices.

A 1.5t boiler was installed at the Hartlief factory to cater for the growing needs of steam. The project included:

• Installation of new steam boiler next to the existing boiler
• Modifications to HFO line to cater for new boiler
• Commissioning

Over the past year's minor refurbishment, maintenance and upgrading projects where completed as well such as:

• Installation of condensate pumps to reduce back pressure of equipment inside the factory
• Raising current condensate storage tanks to increase head pressure for feed water pumps
• Three monthly service of both steam boiler and yearly inspection with Ministry of Labor inspectors
  

A new 7,1kWp Solar Home System for Net Metering was installed at a private residence in Windhoek.

System Specifications are:

• Grid connected with Net Metering
• 24 x 295W Canadian Solar PV modules. Total 7,1kWp.
• 1 x Fronius Primo 8,2-1
• Roof mounted with IBR sheeting
• Remote Monitoring and Energy Meter.