Inaugural Lectures: Professors Bernard Bekker and Arnold Rix
Contact information
Prof Wikus van Niekerk, Dean of Engineering, invites you to join us as we celebrate this milestone in the remarkable academic journey of Professor Bernard Bekker and Professor Arnold Rix.
Professor Bernard Bekker
Title: ‘It depends’: Using models to support South Africa’s future electricity system
Professor Arnold Rix
Title: Creating stability through disruption with renewable energy: From challenges to opportunities
Event details
Date: Thursday 6 November 2025
Time: 17:30–20:00
Venue: Civil Engineering Building, Room S4025
RSVP: Click here to RSVP
Prof Bernard Bekker
‘It depends’: using models to support South Africa’s future electricity system
Electricity is a cornerstone of modern civilisation and will continue to play a central role in enabling a cleaner energy future.
Reliable and affordable electricity, however, does not happen by chance: It requires careful planning to determine, for instance, when, where and what types of new power stations should be built. When planning is delayed or poorly informed, the consequences can be severe. South Africa’s recent experiences with loadshedding and rising electricity costs illustrate this clearly.
Planning for an uncertain future is inherently challenging. It becomes even more complex as electricity networks worldwide, including in South Africa, integrate large amounts of battery storage and variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. At the same time, the liberalisation of electricity markets adds further layers of uncertainty.
In his inaugural lecture, Prof Bernard Bekker explores how models are used to inform planning for South Africa’s future electricity system. In the process, he examines some relevant questions, including: Will loadshedding return? Could blackouts replace loadshedding as more wind and solar power is included in the grid? And is your rooftop solar system being subsidised by the rest of us?
Yet models alone do not improve planning outcomes, and academia does not make the decisions that shape South Africa’s electricity future. Therefore, Prof Bekker also reflects on how modelling insights can be effectively communicated and used to support sound decision-making. Finally, he considers what role academia can play in ensuring that electricity planning decisions are informed, transparent, and in the public interest.
Prof Bernard Bekker originally trained as an electronic engineer, worked in banking as a systems and network analyst, after which he redirected his career towards two of his passions: green building and renewable energy. In 2017, after serving in various roles in the solar photovoltaic and power electronics industries, he joined Stellenbosch University’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
He focuses on electrical power system planning and operation under uncertainty, specifically as it relates to the increasing prevalence of grid-connected distributed storage and generation. One of his primary activities at the University is capacity-building through postgraduate supervision, the development and presentation of industry-focused short courses, and guidance to a contract research team. Prof Bekker holds the NRF SARChI Chair in Power Systems Simulation and is a registered professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
Prof Arnold Rix
Creating stability through disruption with renewable energy: from challenges to opportunities
South Africa’s energy story is one of disruption – from the dominance of coal-fired generation and rapid industrialisation, to the rolling blackouts that have tested the nation’s resilience for nearly two decades. Yet within every disruption lies the seed of innovation. In his inaugural lecture, Prof Arnold Rix traces how South Africa’s energy challenges have shaped both the direction of his career and the evolution of renewable energy in the country.
Growing up, his fascination with electrical systems led him to pursue Engineering studies at Stellenbosch University (SU). As the country began to experience energy insecurity, he found himself at the crossroads of crisis and opportunity. Working in industry at the time, he helped design and develop more than 250 MW of utility-scale solar and wind projects that formed part of the early foundation for renewable-energy generation in South Africa.
After returning to SU, Prof Rix focused on converting his industry experience into academic and research impact. As the incumbent of the Scatec Chair in Renewable Systems, he established a research group dedicated to renewable-energy modelling, battery storage and electric vehicle powering options, exploring how technology can create stability from instability. Through collaboration with government and industry, the group’s work has advanced understanding of solar forecasting, grid integration and energy storage strategies.
Sharing his journey from personal milestones to national energy transitions, Prof Rix reflects on how disruption, when approached through innovation and purpose, can lead not only to stability, but also to meaningful personal and societal advancement.
Arnold Rix is a professor and incumbent of the Scatec Chair in Renewable Systems in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University (SU), where he has been a faculty member since 2015. His career combines academic leadership with industry experience, having previously worked as project development manager at Gestamp Solar and I-WEC, where he helped develop over 250 MW of utility-scale solar and wind projects.
At SU, Prof Rix has established a self-sustaining research group advancing solar-photovoltaic and renewable-energy integration studies. His publication record includes more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, and numerous PhD and master’s graduates have benefited from his postgraduate supervision.
With renewable-energy modelling, battery storage, renewable–grid interaction and electric vehicle powering options as research focuses, he helps advance technologies that support the transition to cleaner and more efficient energy systems. Through his work, which continues to straddle academia and practice, Prof Rix actively contributes to the search for solutions to South Africa’s renewable-energy challenges.