You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience A survey conducted by Dutch researchers has compared the visual impact of overhead and vertical agrivoltaics farms on nearby residents and has found that vertical arrays look less invasive Image: Wageningen University & Research Researchers from the Netherlands’ Wageningen University & Research assessed the perceived landscape quality of people who live next to either an agrivoltaic (AV) system deployed with an overhead configuration and a vertical agrivoltaic array Their survey was conducted via a series of interviews held with people who live next to or pass by two agrivoltaic farms with the two different configurations located in the Dutch province of Gelderland “The link between landscape impacts and support for renewable energy projects highlights the importance of examining the social acceptance of agrivoltaics from a landscape quality perspective,” the researchers emphasized landscape quality (LQ) is considered from a subjective school of thought examining individual experiences of two landscapes including the meanings ascribed by the landscape users.” The overhead system that was considered in the survey is located in Wadenoijen and it was constructed in March 2021 over 3.7 hectars of land and the fruit is still being grown there under the panels It started operating in August 2022 over an area of 0.7 hectares it also hosts a small field with herbs and plants The survey was conducted with a total of 62 respondents 32 living close the vertical farm in Culemborg and 30 near the overhead system in Wadenoijen “Use value refers to functional suitability and efficiency experiential value relates to identity and meaning and future value considers efficiency and sustainability over time,” the academics explained The use value was represented in the survey by questions regarding the factors of accessibility while future value refers to stability/flexibility and cultural and landscape development “The results reveal that respondents favored vertical interspace AV over overhead AV,” the scientists stated “The use value increased in the case of vertical interspace AV (12%) but decreased in the case of overhead AV (- 11%) The experiential value was reduced in both cases (-11% for the interspace AV and -16 % for the overhead AV) The future value increased slightly for both AV systems (2%).” the experience of visual appearance was reduced by 3% after the plant construction a minor change compared to the 24% in the overhead case The overheard plant also reduced the perceived positive effect on wildlife by 60% Health & well-being quality experience dropped by 28% in the vertical case and 33% in the overhead plant The results also showed that in the case of the vertical panels 90% of the residents believed that involving farmers in the energy transition is a good thing the factor of environmental impacts was most pivotal in the decrease of the use value with a reduction of 147% compared to negative 8% in the vertical case When asked to rank the most important factors to them followed by health and well-being with 12% and accessibility got the lowest amount of answers “While agrivoltaics represent a potential solution for land allocation challenges of solar energy infrastructure the experiential value of landscapes – as evidenced in this research – warrants more attention,” the academics concluded “Although this study examined two particular types of AV in the Netherlands the findings also provide directions for agrivoltaics developments elsewhere.” The survey was presented in the paper, “Landscape user experiences of interspace and overhead agrivoltaics: A comparative analysis of two novel types of solar landscapes in the Netherlands,” which was recently published in Energy Research & Social Science More articles from Lior Kahana Please be mindful of our community standards and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. View our privacy policy. × The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this Close The police identified the woman found murdered in a home on Herenstraat in Culemborg on Monday as the 47-year-old resident of the home A 31-year-old man arrested for involvement in her death is still in custody on suspicion of murder or manslaughter Patrolling police officers noticed the man wandering the streets at around 1:40 a.m They stopped to speak to him and he told them that there was a body in the home on Herenstraat The man was arrested after the woman's body was found Thus far the police released no information regarding how the victim was killed or the circumstances surrounding her death, only saying that she was killed in a violent crime Both victim and suspect are of Greek descent the suspect's lawyer said to Omroep Gelderland on Friday The suspect was remanded into custody for two weeks on Thursday which means he is only allowed contact with his lawyer The site was opened just more than a week ago and can accommodate 96 persons in terms of prevailing social distancing protocols Two years after the opening of its first Safe Space for street people the City of Cape Town has operationalised the third such facility called the Culemborg Expansion site (adjacent to the original Safe Space) Residents at the expansion site received blankets and will have access to numerous personal development programmes and services This third facility has been set up just months after another safe space was opened at Paint City in Bellville the three sites will be able to accommodate nearly 700 persons under normal conditions in line with social distancing protocols instituted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 the capacity is currently at approximately 360 for all sites combined The Culemborg Expansion site consists of prefabricated structures that can each accommodate 24 persons currently portable toilets and water tanks are being utilised while the water and sewer connections are finalised Despite its proximity to the flagship Safe Space the expansion site will operate independently but take learnings from the older space and apply these where necessary Codes of conduct and other processes have been shared between the two spaces ‘Our Safe Spaces are not traditional shelters They are transitional facilities for persons who have expressed a willingness to accept assistance but they also help alleviate the pressure on existing shelters particularly during the colder months when more people seek shelter We are therefore extremely pleased that we have been able to open our third safe space ‘With these spaces and the services that are available to the occupants hopes to embark on a journey with every individual that will get them to a point where they can access grants or employment opportunities and find their way to an existing home or a new one,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services the Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department disbursed R20 million in grant-in-aid funding to numerous Non-Governmental organisations including those working in the street people sector Other interventions that are in the pipeline include the expansion of existing shelter spaces through the placement of prefabricated structures on City-owned land adjacent to the shelters to increase the number of persons who can be accommodated ‘We are also working on a process to update our Street People Policy which has been in place for the past seven years with the aim of devising a strategy for how the City addresses the issue going forward and effecting meaningful change in the lives of those who find themselves on the street We will be undertaking a series of dialogues with the street people sector in the coming months to help inform the strategy,’ added Councillor Badroodien registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO historically a national monument dating back to 1794, the ‘fort werk aan’t spoel’ served to protect one of the inundation locks along the new dutch military waterline. dutch firm RAAAF in collaboration with atelier de lyon transformed this outdoor space into a public monument and park for the community of culemborg in the netherlands the giant grass sculpture steps its way into the landscape with an interjection of contemporary concrete elements that mirror the original bomb shelters and bunkers.  the attraction is meant to be used freely by the citizens with a built-in amphitheater and a soon-to-be-built fort house will accommodate more social possibilities the original inundation lock image © rob ‘t hart original bunkers image © rob ‘t hart historical concrete masses become part of the park image © rob ‘t hart terracing landscape image © rob ‘t hart AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style the number one meeting of our fellow countrymen in .. READ ALL THE REVIEW The Italian Saturday in Malindi is never an ordinary evening READ ALL THE ARTICLE Wine will be the protagonist of the weekend in Nairobi in the setting of the Village Market shopping.. READ THE ARTICLE What better way to promote an excellent Italian wine cellar READ THE ARTICLE Italian excellence in the world of coffee and related products READ THE ARTICLE Apart from the recently concluded Week of Italian Cuisine in the World READ AND SEE THE PICTURES And then he says that in Malindi there is never good news...now some of the.. READ AND SEE PICTURES READ ALL THE ARTICLE parked in the small square of Karen's "The Hub" shopping center READ ALL THE ARTICLE the reopening of venues and resorts in Watamu READ ALL THE ARTICLE the appointment with the Italian Week Expo returns to Nairobi READ THE ARTICLE Among the many precautions and things to know before facing a vacation or a period of stay in Kenya READ THE ARTICLE Every time there is confirmation of this: wine is one of the languages of peoples READ, SEE PICTURES AND VIDEO If Italian Cuisine is now recognized as an added value of hospitality READ ALL THE ARTICLE The import and retail sale of quality Italian products in Malindi and throughout Kenya is enriched.. READ AND SEE THE PICTURES Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio Hidden under the Culemborg bridge in the Cape Town CBD is a homeless shelter as a few perpendicular lines on the pavement indicate but since mid July it has provided bed space for up to 96 people Jantjie Booysen heads up Ubuntu Circle of Courage an NGO contracted as the service provider for the expanded Culemborg shelter “There is a need for more safe spaces,” said City of Cape Town Mayco member for community services and health “Our Safe Spaces are not traditional shelters They are transitional facilities for persons who have expressed a willingness to accept assistance.”  Another transitional facility was set up at Paint City in Bellville to shelter street people during the hard lockdown the combined facilities could house 700 people The City has plans to open six facilities in total across the metro The Culemborg Expansion Site shelter is almost at capacity The expanded Culemborg shelter was opened in mid-July 2020 and can accommodate 96 people in terms of social distancing protocols “We have approximately 90 clients,” said Jantjie Booysen, the CEO for Ubuntu Circle of Courage, an NGO acting as the service provider for the site. Prefabricated structures on the property serve as dormitories and office space. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Though Ubuntu serves as the current service provider a tender has been advertised for a new operator The most ‘problematic group’ from Strandfontein Florentina Brandt is one of roughly 16 women housed at the shelter a place which she said left her traumatised This is a common phrase thrown around about the clients at the Expansion site “There was always fights,” said Florentina Brandt But judging by the friendly nature of the majority it’s almost hard to believe they were a difficult bunch Some were lying on the grass enjoying the sunshine while others played soccer in the makeshift courtyard Hit song Jerusalema blared through a set of speakers to boost morale “It’s a huge change from Strandfontein,” said Brandt, who was “traumatised” by her experience there. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Abedah Lawson is the Project Manager for Ubuntu Circle of Courage the NGO working as a service provider for the expanded Culemborg shelter Abedah Lawson, the project manager for Ubuntu, says trauma is rife among the residents and much of it was exacerbated by Strandfontein. “I think a lot of them were being difficult because they weren’t being treated well,” she said. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads is a transgender woman who has been homeless for more than 10 years Before coming to Culemborg she was sheltered at Strandfontein another resident who came from the infamous camp said disagreements over food and bedding often turned physical Ubuntu was approached by the City to manage the Expansion Site whose NGO was a service provider at Strandfontein “The organisation has an existing relationship with the residents which allowed for a seamless transition into the site and its arrangements. The City followed its Grant in Aid policy, which allows for a Grant in Sponsorship, to fund this humanitarian relief programme,” explained Badroodien. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads When asked how many people were on the streets since Strandfontein’s closure in late May, Badroodien did not give current figures, but pointed to the 2018 Street People Enumeration which found that close to 4,000 people were street dwellers while 2,084 were housed in shelters “Our researchers have recommended more frequent counts that will better inform us of trends and other key indicators in this regard.”  piping was being installed for running water The shelter didn’t have showers and was making use of Jojo tanks and bottled water for drinking “When they opened this place there was no toilets,” said Jacobs, “Without toilets, we didn’t have a choice and had to do our business outside.” advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Each person had a bucket to use for bathing plug points had not been installed in the dormitories which Booysen said was an issue for anyone wanting to charge a cellphone or access hot water indicating that he’d paid for some provisions at the shelter out of pocket despite the City’s grant which covers only meals The client’s temperatures are taken each morning and evening The residents insisted that any new arrivals to the shelter be taken to a nearby hospital for screening or testing Booysen says they don’t have sufficient PPE Masks were worn here and there at the facility Sanitisers weren’t visibly available in the dormitories The fenced shelter site has security guards 24/7 Some clients assist with enforcement of security protocols Kevin Pillay is the resident disciplinarian and security head “We don’t allow nonsense and try to keep everyone safe,” he said Twice a month Ubuntu sponsors vanity packs for each client with items such as coffee Some eat in the dorms as there’s no dining hall or eating area available the City provides each client with blankets Mattresses have been used to furnish the single men’s dorm three monitors have been appointed for each dorm and perform a supervisory and emotional support role “It’s a way that Mr Booysen and Abedah have empowered us,” says Brandt About 25 of the clients are employed in the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) many others cannot apply for this facility Booysen pleaded with the City to provide additional funding so clients without documentation can apply at Home Affairs “Approximately 80% of our clients are struggling with drug addiction,” says Booysen Brandt admits she’s a former drug addict in recovery Drug rehabilitation programmes are available through a partnership with the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre The centre provides access to an additional social worker over and above the one employed by Ubuntu “We also formed a partnership with Play Sport 4 Life to use sport as a vehicle to address the other needs of our clients,” said Booysen — needs such as HIV/AIDS awareness and hygiene practices job readiness skills and strengthening family ties are other interventions available Eight clients have been reunited with their families says she only wants to return once her “foundation is strong” a transgender woman originally from the Eastern Cape became homeless when a family dispute over money forced her to flee to Cape Town Jacobs has faced challenging circumstances while living on the streets She recounts an incident of sexual abuse where she was invited into someone’s home and whipped in exchange for R300 “He made me crawl while beating me with a wet whip.”  Jacobs continued to accept abusive clients to earn an income Jacobs came to live under Culemborg bridge in anticipation of the Expansion Site’s opening Though she wasn’t harassed for being transgender at Strandfontein she was verbally and physically attacked while squatting under the bridge ‘how could you allow this thing to sleep with men here’.” Many street dwellers live just outside the shelter some are involved in gangsterism and drug dealing which poses a challenge for clients in recovery “We’ve had issues with unnecessary drinking drugs and we’ve also found dangerous weapons.” Though the shelter is sealed off from anyone who doesn’t work or live there leftover food and surplus donated items are given to those “outside” Jacobs says many of her friends from Tent 2 in Strandfontein were among those living outside the shelter “People are standing at the gate watching us get food and every time I see them I think that’s a lady who was coming from Strandfontein.’ It’s very hard.”  who was a field worker for the City of Cape Town before opening Ubuntu in 2014 says there are push factors from communities of origin such as poverty losing homes and gang activity that cause homelessness and pull factors to host communities (such as the CBD) which offer opportunities to earn money He feels more needs to be done in communities of origin because in the CBD the City and homeless organisations are dealing with “the symptoms” some of the challenges hindering reunification are chronic homelessness (people who have been living on the streets for many years) dysfunctional families and rejection from the community people coming from prison might struggle to reintegrate “We will be undertaking a series of dialogues with the street people sector in the coming months to help inform the strategy,” said Badroodien In a statement, the City said a series of dialogues including Street People Forum and Shelter Forum organisations, Community Improvement Districts and street dwellers would be concluded by 10 October 2020 (World Homeless Day) When asked what the Street People Policy review meant to her Jacobs said she hopes the City will listen to the concerns of the homeless ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Register Contact Us Newsletters A massive mixed-use precinct is currently in planning which could forever alter the face of what was once considered one of the most neglected sections of the CBD - namely the eastern fringe of the Cape Town foreshore area The new development – named ‘Culemborg Quarter’ – will result in the construction of 7 free-standing buildings in numerous phases over a period of a few years These blocks will be divided by pedestrianised streets lined with small café’s and retail stores Culemborg Quarter will have a modern feel to it with large glass towers of between 7 and 20 storeys fronting onto tree-lined boulevards and tasteful landscaping The precinct will be developed according to the “live play” model that is popular in major cities the world over each tower will consist of ground floor retail space and residential apartments to round each block off This will allow employees to potentially live within the precinct as well as enjoy the wide variety of entertainment options on offer within the greater Cape Town CBD as a whole including the likes of the V&A Waterfront Culemborg Quarter will be set in a very convenient location the site is accessed directly off of the N1 inbound highway and will offer businesses exposure to both of the passing N1 and N2 highways due to the height of most of the towers Asked about his thoughts on the development Mark Gedrych – Cape Town CBD broker at Galetti Commercial and Industrial – said that “Culemborg Quarter has all of the key elements required to completely transform the Culemborg foreshore area into a high-sought after office node With approximately 200 000 square metres of bulk the ability to build up to 7 unique free-standing buildings as well as sea and harbour views and great signage visible from the highways I am confident that this development will attract some large heavyweight tenants retail and residential tenants will be key to its long-term success.” Buyers and tenants will have the added advantage of being situated close to the city’s new Artscape/Convention Precinct which is a massive redevelopment due to commence next year that will see the section of the CBD from the Artscape theatre through to the Cape Town International Convention Centre upgraded A host of public transport options are also located within the near vicinity the Golden Arrow bus terminus and taxi cabs that are on call The City of Cape Town has granted approval for the development which will commence once a suitable tenant is secured that is large enough to activate construction of the first of the seven buildings eProperty News is a leading online commercial property marketplace serving the Southern African Investment Retail and Industrial property and allied sectors Privacy Statement Please publish modules in offcanvas position.