Browsing by Subject "Solar energy"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Assessing the effectiveness of national solar and wind energy policies in South Africa
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2010) Edkins, Max; Marquard, Andrew; Winkler, Harald
    The report assesses the progress made on renewable energy deployment for the solar and wind technologies over the last 12 years in South Africa. First the report assesses the potential contribution solar water heaters (SWHs), concentrating solar power (CSP), large-scale photovoltaic (PV) farms and wind technology can bring to South Africa’s energy demand by 2030. It highlights what the mid-term potential for each is by 2030 and compares this with the deployment of each over the past 12 years. From this a renewable energy policy effectiveness value is calculated based on the method developed in the Deploying Renewables Report (IEA, 2008a) and this is critically assessed. Finally, the report assesses the factors involved in renewable energy deployment, or the lack thereof, in South Africa and discusses recent developments in the field. The compilation of this paper was based on desktop reviews; data interpretation from multiple sources; expert opinion of the authors and peer reviewers; and interviews with experts in the field. A number of interviews were conducted at the ISES International Solar Energy Society Conference in October 2009 and the Energy 2010 Indaba in February 2010. The data used in this report to formulate the projections is from a number of sources and has been independently reviewed.
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    Biofuel policies in South Africa: a critical analysis
    (Springer, 2012) Letete, Thapelo; von Blottnitz, Harro
    In 2007 the South African government released the country’s National Biofuels Industrial Strategy targeting a biofuels market penetration of 2% of liquid road transport fuels by 2013. Contrary to the international situation, the main driver for the development of a biofuels industry in South Africa is neither the economic threat of increasing oil prices nor mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, but the need to create a link between the country’s first and second economies. Specifically, the government hopes to stimulate economic development and to alleviate poverty through the promotion of farming in areas previously neglected by the apartheid system. Before the release of this strategy, commercial sugar producers and maize farmers represented the majority of the parties looking to drive the South African biofuels industry. But, two years after its release none of the ventures by these stakeholders have been able to take off, mainly due to the Strategy’s restrictions on the type and source of feedstock as well as on the type of farmers whose participation in the industry would be subsidised. This chapter presents a critical scientific-­based analysis of the implications and results of South Africa’s National Biofuels Industrial Strategy. Firstly an update is presented on the state of the biofuels industry in the country, highlighting the current production statistics and the major investment activities, and how these were affected by the release of the Strategy. Then the ambiguities in the Strategy are outlined and critically analysed with reference to the current state of the biofuels industry in the country. The chapter then concludes with the lessons to be learnt from the South African experience by those African countries which are yet to develop their respective biofuel policies.
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    Costing a 2020 target of 15% renewable electricity for South Africa - Final Draft
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2008) Marquard, Andrew; Merven, Bruno; Tyler, Emily; Hagemann, Kilian
    This study explores the implications of a renewable energy target, with South Africa setting and achieving 15% of electricity generated from renewables by 2020 We report the effects of 15% renewable electricity on the total cost of electricity production, investment in electricity infrastructure, and national greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving such a target will pose institutional, financing and policy challenges and we consider several options. The two most promising technologies for South African conditions are wind and solar thermal electricity.
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    Electricity from solar home systems in South Africa
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2007) Prasad, Gisela
    In developed countries, renewable energy (RE) technologies are most often introduced for environmental reasons, to reduce GHG emissions mandated under the Kyoto Protocol – which South Africa signed in 2002. The Protocol does not commit non-Annex 1 (developing) countries such as South Africa to any emission targets in the first commitment period (2008 to 2012), however, and it creates no external pressure to reduce emissions. So it is understandable that in this case study the major government concern is not the environment, but access to electricity for the poor in remote rural areas. RE technologies are not widely disseminated in South Africa, although solar resources are very high and solar technologies are particularly suitable. The general environmental awareness is limited when compared to European countries and it is only recently that the media have been more regularly covering issues such as global warming and its impact on South Africa. The South African government generally supports RE, and its RE policy stipulates a voluntary target of 10 000 GWh to be supplied from renewable sources by 2013. The target is approximately 10% of the country’s electricity demand, of which now less than 1% is met from renewable sources (DME 2004). Different players in projects and the industry give various explanations and reasons why the market has not responded more positively, often citing high initial capital cost as the major explanation. The two South African case studies describe solar water heaters (SWHs) (case study 1) and, in this report, electricity from solar home systems (case study 2). Both case studies include the impact of poverty on the dissemination and acceptance of the technology. SHS using photovoltaic panels to generate electricity have been provided as part of the National Electrification programme in remote poor rural areas to which the grid has not been extended, as a substitute for grid electricity, although in fact subsidised SHS were expected to bring light and television services at a much faster rate than they actually did.
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    Large-scale rollout of concentrating solar power in South Africa
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2009) Edkins, Max; Winkler, Harald; Marquard, Andrew
    As part of Climate Strategies ‘International Support for Domestic Climate Policies’ project this paper assesses the large-scale rollout of CSP in South Africa. Described as a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), the scale of CSP deployment is determined, and the amount of greenhouse gas emissions saved and incremental investment costs are estimated in line with the modelling outcomes of the Long-Term Mitigation Scenarios (LTMS) for South Africa (Chapter 2). Based on a stakeholder workshop held in May 2009 the drivers in support of the rollout of CSP are described, in particular the recently established Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT), and three major barriers relating to technology, regulation and infrastructure are highlighted (Chapter 3). The paper further assesses options of international support in light of the climate change negotiations to overcome the barriers identified (Chapter 4), and lastly, it assesses indicators that may be successful in monitoring the large-scale rollout of CSP (Chapter 5). In this study we define the ‘large-scale’ rollout of CSP in line with the more optimistic ‘renewables extended with learning’ projection modelled in the LTMS of South Africa, as depicted in the figure below. The rollout is characterised by three phases: during the initial ‘Start’ phase, from 2010 to 2015, 2 GW of CSP capacity is constructed; the end of the ‘Scale–up’ phase (2030) results in a 24 GW CSP capacity; and by the completion of the ‘Rollout’ phase (2050) 100GW of CSP capacity should be established. This could result in 3,850 Mt CO2-eq saved over the period 2010-2050 and would require an incremental cost of R 4.7-13 billion per year if CSP technologies experience learning rates of 15 to 20% per year, and less (R 3.6-4.6 billion per year) if the country manages to create a local supply of CSP components. Post-2030, during the ‘Rollout’ phase cost savings are expected to be achieved in South African electricity generation system. Before then the cost to the electricity system is estimate at R2.5 billion for 2010-2015, R 8 billion for 2016-2020 and R23 billion for 2021-2030 above the baseline projection. The rollout could result in approximately 3,800 Mt CO2-eq saved over the period 2010-2050 and the build programme is estimated to require incremental investment costs of R 4-13 billion per year if CSP technologies experience learning rates of 15 to 20% per year, and less – R 2-4.3 billion per year – if the country manages to create a local supply of CSP components.
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    Local employment through the low-pressure solar water heater roll-out in South Africa
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2013) Wlokas, Holle Linnea; Ellis, Charlotte
    In February 2013, the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the post-2015 development agenda failed to identify climate change as a priority issue (United Nations 2013). The defined framing questions for the panel’s work and the most recent announcement highlight sustainable growth with equity, wealth through management of natural resources and partnerships - but not the detrimental impact of climate change on development (Field 2013). This shortcoming is a reflection of the current discourse. Even though changing, climate change and development are still located in two different camps. Although much work has gone into bridging this gap by potentially aligning policy agendas, the challenge to achieve integration of climate and development objectives is still obvious on the ground (Rennkamp 2012). Solar water heating in South Africa is one such on-ground example which, when investigated thoroughly, presents a learning opportunity.
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    South African approaches to MRV of mitigation actions: the case of installing solar water heaters
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2012) Rennkamp, Britta
    How to measure, report and verify (MRV) mitigation actions? This question calls growing attention in the international negotiations on climate change, because industrialized countries agreed to support developing countries in their efforts of reducing emissions through so-called ‘nationally appropriate mitigation actions’ (NAMAs). In the process of defining those NAMAs, the question stands out how the emission reductions can be verified. This case study illustrates the way ‘MRV’ works in the case of solar water heating. South Africa has no officially registered NAMAs in the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) yet. Therefore, we chose one of the most advanced ‘mitigation action’, which is the roll out program for solar water heating, which is a key energy efficiency program. We find that the incentive system matters for collecting data for MRV. The responsible agency for the incentive needs to provide for data collection. The process becomes easier if previsions for MRV are already made in the stage of designing the policy. We recommend to design the MRV system of mitigation based on existing structures, such as the measurement and verification (M&V) standards, which apply to the monitor efficiency programs. We further recommend to make the data collection and management transparent, and to designate an independent, cross-sectorial agency to support the government in the data management and quality control, to ensure coherent and reliable reporting.
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    What contribution does the installation of solar water heaters make towards the alleviation of energy poverty in South Africa?
    (Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2011) Wlokas, Holle Linnea
    The South African government has publicized plans to install one million solar water heaters in households throughout South Africa by the year 2014, with the goals of reducing strain on existing electricity resources, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, creating employment and alleviating poverty. This paper examines two existing solar water heater installation projects with the aim of investigating the social contribution of the installation of solar water heaters in low-income households in South Africa. The Sustainable Urban Livelihoods approach (SULA) was adjusted to provide an analytical framework for the development of suitable indicators of social change in the context of renewable energies and energy poverty. Increases in household capital and the reduction of household vulnerability to shocks, stressors and seasonal variability as the result of solar water heater installation were investigated in projects in low-income housing developments in the cities of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Data collected from paired household surveys (before and after installation) in over 600 households and qualitative information (Most Significant Change stories) show that the provision of a constant, cheap source of heated water contributed positively to the alleviation of energy poverty. Household capitals (categorised as Human, Social, Financial, Physical, Natural and Gender capital), including aspects such as health benefits and time and financial savings, were all positively effected by the installation of solar water heaters. In addition, improved energy security greatly reduced household vulnerability to shocks, stressors and seasonal variability. Comparison between the two projects revealed that the geographical setting (climatic conditions in particular), and the approach and strategies adopted by the implementers of the solar water heater installation project, greatly determine the extent to which benefits to the households are realised.