OpenUCT :: Browsing by Subject "Energy and Development Studies"

Browsing by Subject "Energy and Development Studies"

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Open Access
Air pollution modelling for the greater Cape Town region
(1994) Dracoulides, Demosthenes Anastasios; Dutkiewicz, Ryszard Karol
Limited research on dispersion modelling for the Cape Town metropolitan area has been undertaken. This thesis deals with air-pollution aspects in relation to dispersion modelling, as well as with the input requirements and application of a dispersion model in the Greater Cape Town region. An EPA approved Gaussian plume model, the Industrial Source Complex Short Term 2 (ISCST2), was chosen for the pollution simulation. The model requires one point meteorological measurements and can accommodate multiple point, line and area sources. Meteorological data used in the study were collected from D. F. Malan airport for the years 1991 and 1992. However, required parameters, such as the mixing height and the atmospheric stability class, are not readily available and thus needed to be calculated. Three methods for determining the mixing heights and three methods for determining atmospheric stability class were used in the model and the accuracy for each combination was assessed. Appropriate emission information for use with dispersion modelling is not available for the Greater Cape Town area. Therefore, the compilation of an emission inventory formed a considerable part of this study. Emission data from the large industries was collected with the collaboration of the Cape Town City Council's Air Pollution Control and of the Air Pollution Group of the Western Cape Regional Services Council. The rest of the sources (i.e. residential, vehicular and industrial), were grouped into areas, and their emissions were based on their fuel consumption.
Open Access
An analysis of institutional structures, organisational culture and decision-making processes that affect the sustainability of buildings at the University of Cape Town
(2018) Mandalia, Jigisha; Marquard, Andrew; Madhlopa, Amos
Universities globally are realising the potential they have in shaping the future workforce to deal with a variety of environmental issues, such as efficient resource use and sustainable development. The University of Cape Town (UCT) has committed to a number of environmental sustainability goals and is a signatory to international sustainable campus charters. This dissertation analyses the progress of sustainability levels of buildings on campus. A case study of three recently built buildings was undertaken, the last of which attained a 4-star green rating by the Green Building Council of South Africa. A detailed analysis was conducted through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders at the university and others, including architects and sustainability experts. This study specifically evaluates the institutional structures, organisational culture and decision-making processes that have enabled, promoted or hindered sustainable buildings at UCT. One key policy was established in 2012, which stated that all new buildings at UCT will be constructed to be 4-star rated at a minimum. The decisions leading up to this policy were analysed and they highlight the enabling mechanisms within the university. However, a number of barriers and challenges were found that hindered progress. Many challenges are not unique given the similarity of university structures and governance globally, such as lack of: resources, awareness, motivation and coordination. However, there are local and contextual challenges, especially lack of funding and competing priorities, that need to be addressed before sustainability is fully integrated into UCT. Moreover, inertia of large institutions, difficulty in shifting organisational culture, and complex and lengthy decision-making processes make change difficult at a university. Nevertheless, some strategies are explored that are likely to be effective in promoting increased sustainability levels, especially of buildings on campus.
Open Access
Assessing the role of solar home systems in poverty alleviation : case study of Rukungiri district in Western Uganda
(2015) Julian, Hakirii; Prasad, Gisela; Moyo, Alfred
Not only does Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest number of people who live below the poverty line, the region has the lowest rate of modern energy access at 32%. The provision of modern energy access in rural un-electrified areas has the potential to contribute to alleviation of poverty. The main objective of this study has therefore been to investigate the impact of Solar Home Systems (SHSs) in poverty alleviation in Uganda. The paper focuses on the impact on four socio-economic categories namely: economic, education, health and gender equity. Our study was carried out in Kebisoni, Uganda. The main finding from our study is that access to solar power does indeed alleviate poverty. The data indicated an increase in households' disposable income due to the use of solar energy for lighting. Savings were generated from a reduced expenditure on alternative lighting fuels such as kerosene. Some households used these savings to meet medically related expenses. Furthermore, our results revealed that there was an improvement in indoor air quality. Children in solar electricity connected households benefited, as they were now able to increase their hours of study at night. Lastly, the study also revealed that access to lighting from SHSs enabled women to supplement household income by engaging in businesses.
Open Access
Availability and cost of capital for IPP wind energy project financing in South Africa : an investigation study into how financiers and investors in the South African wind power market react to perceived uncertainties in the policy and regulatory ena
(2010) White, James; Marquard, Andrew
In recent months there has been an increased interest in the potential for a wind power sector in South Africa. This is in response to broader climate change commitments by government and the potential inclusion of independent power producers (IPP) in the South African generation capacity. In support of this the government has set policies that indicate their support for the inclusion of renewable energy into the mix. However, this policy does not send a clear signal of certainty to investors, especially with regard to the implementation. This thesis set out to review how investors and financiers have responded to these signals and how they set the cost and availability of project funding based off the uncertainty due to the gaps in the enabling environment.
Open Access
Barriers to energy-efficiency implementation: a study of the uptake of energy-efficiency initiatives offered through incentive schemes in South Africa
(2016) Parker, Victoria Daniela; Hibberd, Andrew
Energy efficiency has been widely recognised as a powerful tool for improving the energy situation across the globe. Whether by increasing energy security, reducing carbon emissions or alleviating grid strain, proven methods of energyefficiency management can bring about significant savings at a multitude of levels. Although energy-efficiency practices are gaining traction globally, their uptake is still less than optimal, and this is especially true of South Africa. The country is currently facing an energy crisis that brings with it a variety of complex challenges, all which can be assuaged through energy efficiency, if applied to the energy-intensive economy. It is important to understand the South Africa-specific barriers that hinder implementation of energy efficiency. While government has made strong commitments to supporting the uptake of energy-efficiency initiatives, there have been several interruptions and a lack of execution. An abundant amount of topdown research has been conducted to identify the various barriers to implementation; far less research, however, identifies barriers from within these energy-intensive economies. If these barriers could be identified from a more qualitative and participant-centred perspective, the key role-players in the sector might be able to better address energy-efficiency implementation, leading to more widespread benefits and results. To this end, the researcher performed an explanatory investigation, analysing seven energy-intensive companies that had recently participated in a fully funded local incentive scheme called the Private Sector Energy Efficiency Programme (PSEE). The PSEE performed an energy audit on each company, followed up by a report on its findings. The report clearly outlined the company's key energy-savings opportunities, in kilowatt-hours (kWh), Rand and CO2 emissions. It also estimated the costs and payback periods of the projects. Despite these reports indicating significant savings potentials and reasonable payback periods, a lack of uptake still remained. The researcher extracted and analysed the relevant quantitative data from the PSEE reports and conducted one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with the participants to identify and understand the participant-specific barriers to the recommended energy-efficient measures. The researcher also interviewed three coordinators of the PSEE programme, in the hope of identifying any PSEEspecific barriers. The other main party involved in this research was PSEE energy-efficiency ESCO which has been given an alias name ESCO E, who delivered the reports to the participants. The research found that the barriers in place in South Africa resemble those that have been identified at the global level. However, the mixed-methods approach and data sample employed in this study create a very interesting picture about the barriers that exist at the company level. The research found that there were significant saving opportunities available to companies but that, mainly due to a lack of financial support, human-resource capacity and time, there has been little to no implementation of the recommended projects. The available literature and provided global experience, coupled with participants' responses and suggestions, allow the researcher to make relevant recommendations that pertain to the study: • Lower payback periods through further incentives • Accessible funding and subsidies • Ensured continuation, longevity and growth of incentive programmes • Client-specific cost alternatives • Extensive and supported detail around each recommendation • Human resource capacity support to ensure energy management • Required energy seminars and skills training to programme participants • Increased government support and energy efficiency resources; namely an Energy Hub, which will provide a stable platform for energy efficiency • Participant-specific report alignment to encourage uptake and increased trust between incentive host and participant • More stringent government regulated technological standards.
Open Access
Challenges facing the wind energy industry in South Africa : lessons learned from international experience in promoting wind energy
(2010) Waller, Mary Kate; Marquard, Andrew
Growing concerns regarding climate change, energy security, long-term carbon price exposure, fuel price risk and fossil fuel depletion have continued to drive growth in wind energy globally over the past decade. In spite of South Africa’s renewable energy target and feed-in tariff for renewable energy, the current deployment of wind energy in South Africa is extremely low. Consequently, as the country embarks upon promoting the development of renewable energy, it is important to consider the challenges facing the wind energy industry in South Africa.
Open Access
Challenges impeding South African municipalities from adopting waste-to-energy schemes : an exploratory approach
(2016) Mutezo, Gamuchirai Thelma; Batidzirai, Bothwell
As a resource, waste is abundantly available but largely underexploited in South Africa. Through waste to energy transformation, waste offers a variety of benefits that could address socio-economic and environmental challenges such as energy poverty, decreasing landfill space and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As South Africa becomes more urbanised, the urban population will rapidly increase and greater effort will be required to manage waste and provide energy services. Municipalities have the potential to deal with these challenges and realise many benefits by transforming and valorising waste through waste-to-energy (WtE) schemes. The most prevalent WtE technologies include biological (biochemical conversion) and thermal (thermo-chemical) based conversion technologies. Biological technologies mainly employ anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste to produce biogas which can be used directly or upgraded to other secondary energy carriers. Landfill gas recovery is also based on anaerobic breakdown of waste in landfills. Thermal treatment methods that produce heat and electricity include combustion, gasification, and pyrolysis. The most common form of WtE conversion technology is combustion or incineration of solid waste. In the developing world, AD is the most common technology especially for small scale and domestic applications. WtE technologies have been successfully deployed in many developed as well as some developing countries but there are limited initiatives in South Africa due to a number of barriers to the deployment of the technology. This study explored the barriers to wide scale deployment of WtE technologies in South Africa with a specific focus on adoption challenges faced by local municipalities specifically in the Western Cape Province. Four objectives were identified, namely: (1) investigate existing waste management methods, challenges experienced and current (proposed) interventions; (2) investigate local municipalities' efforts to implementing WtE schemes and the challenges encountered; (3) estimate the amount of energy that can be produced by local municipalities from waste and the extent to which the energy gap could be narrowed and; (4) identify the most appropriate WtE technology that local municipalities could implement. The research methodology comprised of a mixed methods approach which encompassed both qualitative and quantitative approaches, based on an exploratory design. A sample of five municipalities was identified and participated, from a population of 24 municipalities in the Western Cape Province. The criteria used to select the municipalities include (1) experiences, plans and efforts to adopt WtE (2) socio-demographic trends such as population growth and urbanisation rates as well as (3) proximity and ease of collecting data physically. Some challenges that were experienced relate to limited availability and accuracy of waste generation data and waste compositions, limited availability of municipal documents (such as feasibility studies and policy documents) and the inability of participants to answer all the relevant questions. The latter was mainly due to the different stages of WtE implementation in the different municipalities. Through the analysis, it was noted that socio-demographic trends such as population growth and in-migration increased between the 2001 and 2011 period, which also indicated an increase in the waste generated. Although local municipalities were implementing waste initiatives such as recycling and composting, none had physically implemented any WtE schemes. However, the municipalities were exploring the technologies and were at different stages, mainly at the feasibility stage. The challenges deterring municipalities from adopting WtE include: 1. Unsuitable waste feedstock for energy generation and poor data on waste generation and composition for investment decision making, 2. Restrictions on independent power producers (IPPs) of electricity to directly supply power to municipalities as well as timeous wheeling agreements (the monopoly of Eskom) 3. Poor synchronisation of policies (energy and waste policies do not provide a solid platform for establishing WtE industries), 4. Poor integration of WtE into waste management planning, 5. Limited knowledge of technologies by decision makers and lack of political will; 6. Low landfill tariffs, 7. Limited access to capital to invest in technologies and high investment costs depending on the type of technology, 8. Lack of skills to implement technologies, 9. Limited awareness of the technologies and their benefits and opposition from the public for various reasons including emissions of hazardous gases, and 10. Delays in processing environmental and legal applications.
Open Access
A comparative international review of power sector reform and its impact on access to electricity by poor communities
(2004) Dixon, Dorothea Elizabeth
Since the early 1980's, a number of countries have been undertaking power sector reform. Very often the drivers for change included the need to reduce reliance on public finances and to obtain foreign capital, either to service loans, or for investing in new capacity. Latin American countries were the forerunners in this regard, with Chile amongst the first. The other main driver was to improve the financial and technical performance of the electricity industry. The rationale for this initiative could also be found in other factors, which are discussed as the countries are dealt with individually later in this document. One important aspect thereof is clearly the 'public benefit' implications of power sector reform, which are more pressing in developing countries. Until the 1980's, the electricity industry was viewed as a natural monopoly, and the concept of economies of scale reinforced this point of view. However, with dramatic technology improvements, it became possible to generate electricity competitively in smaller power plants, and thus alternatives to monopolistic industries were increasingly feasible. Competition is now possible in generation and supply. Developers other than the state can participate in the industry either as Independent Power Producers (IPPs) or as distributors and suppliers of electricity. According to the principle of competition, the introduction of new players into the market should lower electricity prices. This study investigates if this holds true in developing countries and whether power sector reform slows down or accelerates electrification access for the poor.
Open Access
A computable general equilibrium analysis of the proposed build plans as presented in the integrated resource plan
(2011) Caetano, Tara Helena; Marquard, Andrew
Global concerns with regard to electricity supply ranged from growing demand (especially in developing countries), energy security, diversity of supply, safety and the global movement towards low-carbon technologies. The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is an operational process by which these concerns as well as other policy goals are addressed. This is done with the aim of providing a long-term plan for the electricity sector. The current modelling approach used in the IRP is unable to quantify the effects on various policy goals that the plan is likely to have. This thesis uses a CGE model to analyse the plan in terms of some of these policy goals in an attempt to fill this analytical gap. The base case, revised balanced and policy-adjusted scenarios are simulated in the E-SAGE model developed by Arndt et al. (2008).
Open Access
Consideration for a sustainable hybrid electric power mini-grid : case study for Wanale village in Uganda
(2011) Kimera, Raymond; Okou, Richard
In this study, a hybrid mini-grid system is designed to supply electricity to a rural village in Uganda. Renewable energy resources are identified, an estimation of the projected village short-term electricity demand is simulated, and using HOMER software, a hybrid mini-grid system is designed, components sized, and the system optimized in terms of cost, and efficient and reliable operation to meet the village demand.
Open Access
Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa
(2003) Magilindane, Funekile; Prasad, Gisela
Renewable energy is becoming a key policy issue in the energy sector in most countries in the world. Considering various energy options, renewable energies are seen to be ecologically sustainable and they contribute towards conservation of fossil fuels as well as the environment. The use of renewables on a more significant scale than at present is very likely to replace a further significant proportion of fossil fuel use, thereby reducing the associated environmental impacts. The renewable energy sources of importance to South Africa are solar, wind and hydro-energy and energy derived from biomass. The focus of the paper however, is on domestic PV -based Solar Home Systems (SHSs). This is mainly because the principal technology being considered for household electrification in the remote rural areas at present in South Africa remains SHSs. Previous studies, however, indicate that for a variety of reasons, large-scale SHS implementation has been very difficult to achieve in South Africa. For a number of years, extensive efforts have been made in the research and implementation of solar energy technology, and it was widely anticipated that the actual numbers of installations would have assumed very high figures by now. But this has not been the case. The largest obstacles to the wide dissemination of SHSs have been singled out, namely: the high capital investment often required tor installation (which makes it very difficult tor the rural households to afford the systems); and the expectations for grid electricity. The paper argues that although affordability and grid expectations, no doubt, constrain the wide dissemination of SHSs. other factors play an equally important role. It is argued that a plethora of interlocked and mutually inclusive factors constrain the widespread use of SHS. These include factors such as: negative perceptions amongst potential users - arising from lack of system maintenance and consequent system failure; and socio-cultural dynamics. These had not been given much attention in the literature on SHS applications and programmes. yet they have enormous impact on the daily use of energy.
Open Access
A consumer assessment of household attitudes, awareness, drivers and likelihood of installing solar water heaters under a monthly payment scheme in Cape Town, South Africa
(2013) Paul, Timothy; Rennkamp, Britta
This paper reviews how incentive mechanisms impact solar water heater (SWH) technology adoption under both monthly payment scheme (MPS) and non-monthly payment scheme (non-MPS) conditions. The key research problem is to try understand why consumers1 have not installed SWHs under non-MPS conditions and whether a MPS can generate better installation rates. SWHs generate clean energy by using the heat of the sun instead of electricity to heat household water. On average, SWHs displace 30 % of household electricity usage, decreasing both household electricity costs and national electricity supply. South Africa has favourable solar conditions and encouraging policy support in the form of long term targets and subsidy incentive schemes. However, it appears that these mechanisms are unable to rapidly incentivise South Africa’s mid to high income households to install SWH units. This paper reviews the MPS incentive mechanism, to examine if it can create a larger scale adoption of SWHs, with the key research question being: ‘How does the monthly payment scheme influence consumer behaviour and their likelihood of adopting solar water heater technologies in the City of Cape Town?’ An important corollary of the research is to gain an understanding of the nature and successes of MPSs in other SWH markets and industry environments. This paper uses case studies to examine successful MPSs in the US PV residential market and in Tunisia’s state-supported SWH program. In order to determine the likelihood of SWH adoption in Cape Town, existing consumer sentiment towards SWHs must be properly understood. Consumer attitudes, awareness and drivers to adopt SWHs will inform the likelihood of adoption, both under MPS and non-MPS conditions. Therefore, this paper investigates the three variables of attitudes, awareness and drivers and the ultimate likelihood of SWH adoption through a questionnaire targeted at respondents from mid to high income households in Cape Town.
Open Access
A decision making tool for assessing grid electrification versus stand-alone power supply options for remote users
(1989) Borchers, Mark Louis; Dutkiewicz, Ryszard Karol
The objective of this study is to compile a micro-computer based tool to aid in the evaluation of power supply options for remote sites. The options considered are stand-alone photovoltaic, diesel generation, and grid extension power supplies. The basis on which the various options are compared is the unit cost of energy expected from the system. This is determined by combining all capital costs, running costs, and other payments on a present value basis over the project lifetime. The comparison of the unit energy cost expected from each option is only meaningful if the reliability of each supply system is known. The Loss of Energy Probability of each option is therefore established to provide a common ground on which to compare these costs. •
Open Access
Economic assessment of energy efficiency in residential buildings in Mozambique: case study of Maputo
(2015) Chicombo, Adélia Filosa Francisco; Madhlopa, Amos ; Baloi, Daniel
The world’s energy consumption has been increasing dramatically in recent years. Economic and population growth are said to be the main drivers of this phenomenon. This change is held responsible for the increase in greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, the reduced energy security and the negative socio-economic implications, especially in developing countries. From a sectorial perspective, buildings are part of the large energy consumers, especially the residential sector. It is in this view that measures to reduce this sector’s energy demand has been largely recommended. One of these measures is promoting the deployment of energy efficient buildings combined with the use of energy efficient appliances. The aim of this study was to assess the economic feasibility associated with sustainable buildings with emphasis on the energy efficiency component. The study concentrated on residential buildings in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique. The rationale behind the study lies in the need to uncover the main variables involved in the economic feasibility of adopting energy efficient practices within the building sector to help final users, policy makers and other interested groups to better understand and handle energy efficiency matters. A case study research design was used to achieve the main objective of this investigation. In this regard, a survey of households and interviews were conducted to establish the energy consumption pattern in Mozambique and its associated costs. The survey was conducted in the Kampfumo Municipality District of Maputo, and the interviews were conducted with civil engineering companies, electronic engineering, architects and building cost estimators. The questionnaires were answered by 233 households. Findings from the survey were used to perform a comparative analysis of the life cycle cost (LCC) of the buildings of the surveyed households with that of the proposed energy efficient designs, which incorporates buildings energy efficient elements and energy efficient appliances.
Open Access
The effect of wind turbine transportation on wind farm development in South Africa
(2014) Takuba, Raymond Chengetai; Rennkamp, Britta
This thesis investigates the transportation of wind turbines in an emerging wind energy market with a focus on South Africa. The research goal is to understand how the transport and the wind energy sectors interact; as well as how turbine transportation can unfold as a barrier to wind farm development in South Africa. Turbine transportation was found to be a key part of the wind farm development process which has been hampered in South Africa by poor planning, the design of the renewable energy procurement program and low cooperation amongst industry participants. Barriers to wind farm development include a shortage of logistics equipment such as cranes and trailers, a shortage of skilled drivers and crane operators and several embedded bottlenecks in the abnormal load transportation process. These factors combined have resulted in a cost premium of 5 - 10% for the turbine transportation process in South Africa as compared to the cost in larger established wind energy markets. The study additionally finds that the wind energy industry could benefit from better coordination of transport projects through industry bodies such as SAWEA, as the transport system is unlikely to be altered in order to accommodate the needs of the wind energy industry.
Open Access
Electricity production from sugar industries in Africa : a case of South Africa
(2002) Banda, Azel; Davidson, Ogunlade R
Low access to electricity is a problem in Africa. Apart from South Africa and Mauritius access to electricity generally falls below 30% of the population. The situation is even worse in the rural areas which housed about 70% or more of the population and whose access to modern energy services in these areas is between 5%-10%. Hence, this work aims at providing means of increasing access to electricity for the larger portion of the continent. This work looked at the potential of using bagasse, a waste from sugar production, to produce electricity beyond the sugar factory to the national grid. It shows that bagasse generated electricity can contribute to increasing this access in Africa as a whole by as much as 9.4 TWh, using Condensing Extraction Steam Turbines. However, this increase varies among countries with the highest being Swaziland, 67%, and the lowest South Africa, 1.5%, due to the current capacity. The actualization of this technical potential, however, can only come about with proper application of relevant policies and measures that need to be in place for Africa in general and South Africa in particular as more detailed work was done on the latter. Due to limitation in scope, this work did not cover the social, financial and agronomic aspects and neither was optimization of sugar considered in evaluating electricity from bagasse.
Open Access
Energy efficiency in a restructuring electricity distribution industry in South Africa : analysis and policy strategies
(2000) Tyani, Lwazikazi; Spalding-Fecher, Randall
Open Access
Energy efficiency in the South African clay brick industry
(1996) Hibberd, Andrew Charles Michael; Dutkiewicz, Ryszard Karol
This report presents the results of an energy study carried out on the clay brick industry of South Africa. The clay brick industry consumed approximately 38 PJ of energy in 1995, about 5% of manufacturing energy consumptions and had an energy intensity five times the average for the manufacturing sector. This combined with the uniform nature of the output and the fragmented nature of the industry made the clay brick industry an appropriate choice for the energy study.
Open Access
Energy in east and southern Africa : with special reference to South Africa
(1992) Gielink, Michael Ian; Dutkiewicz, Ryszard Karol
In this thesis the energy sector of the East and Southern Africa Region (as defined by the World Energy Council) is investigated. Special attention is given to South Africa and the potential future role she could play in the region. The region is characterized by large population growth rates, insufficient economic growth, political and civil instability, massive urbanization, high illiteracy rates, a low level of development, a lack of finance and foreign exchange, and inadequate institutional structures, all of which effect the energy sector making the provision of a sustainable and adequate supply of energy difficult. On the other hand, South Africa, the economic giant of the region, has a sophisticated and well established energy infrastructure and•has the potential to play a large role in the energy sector of the region. A large portion of the region's energy demand is supplied by traditional energy sources and is consumed by the domestic sector. In many countries of the region, energy demand exceeds sustainable supply, resulting in energy scarcities and increased deforestation. These issues need to be addressed as a priority. Reforestation based on agro- forestry, was identified as the option most likely to succeed in this regard. Although commercial energy resources are abundant within the region, they are largely unexploited as a result of the lack of suitably large markets, vast distances, a lack of finance and regional instability. The promotion of the utilization of these resources, which would ease supply constraints, is reliant on regional cooperation and the trade in energy. Forecasts of future energy consumption in the region indicate that unless present constraints on the energy sector are alleviated, the adequate supply of energy, and in particular traditional energy, will be jeopardized. It is proposed that any long-term cost-effective solution for the provision of an adequate and sustainable supply of energy requires regional political stability and cooperation, institutional reform, the integration of traditional and commercial energy structures, and should address the issues of deforestation and population growth.
Open Access
Energy policies for sustainable development in South Africa's residential and electricity sectors
(2006) Winkler, Harald; Davidson, Ogunlade R; Parnell, Sue
Harald Winkler's thesis examines "Energy policies for sustainable development in South Africa's residential and electricity sectors: Implications for mitigating climate change". The research question asks whether there are energy policies that will make South Africa's energy development more sustainable economically, socially and environmentally, especially in the context of the local environment. Energy policies for sustainable development are explored as an approach to mitigating climate change. A methodology combining three major components is developed - modelling, evaluation of indicators of sustainable development and policy analysis. The analysis explicitly starts from development objectives. 'Backcasting' from development objectives has been not been implemented in national energy models in developing countries. Within the modeling component, the residential sector is disaggregated into six household types for the first time in a national energy model for South Africa. Energy policies for sustainable development in two sectors are identified to meet the c0untry's development objectives. Making residential energy more sustainable includes cleaner and more efficient ways of providing energy services - lighting, water heating, cooking and heating. The thesis also analyses four major electricity supply options - renewable energy, nuclear, importing hydro or natural gas. The thesis develops an analytical approach that for considering energy policies that incorporates environmental concerns. Identified policies are quantified in an energy-economic modeling framework. A wide variety of data sources is used, drawing on statistical information, official energy data, utility statistics, journal articles and research reports. Indicators of sustainable development provide a framework for assessing the suitability of suggested policy cases, while policy analysis considers their implementation for both energy and climate policies. A contribution of the thesis lies in combining these analytical tools to identify energy policies that promote both local sustainable development and mitigate climate change. The thesis finds solar water heating and efficient housing rank higher than alternatives in all dimensions of sustainable development for the residential sector. These policies provide cleaner energy services, reduce fuel use and yield cost savings for households. The latter is significant in reducing the electricity burden, particularly for poorer households. A more equitable distribution of energy services favours social sustainability and reduces inequalities. Emissions in the order of 1- 10 Mt CO₂-equiv/year can be avoided. The investment requirement is relatively modest. However, the residential sector will not deliver the largest absolute energy savings and associated emission reductions.