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Solar Facts
Solar Energy - South Africa
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Amendments to the National Building Regulations and Building Standards |
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The Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa (SESSA) noted, with pleasure, the publication on 11th June 2010, of a notice by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to amend the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 2008 (Act No. 103 of 1977) by introducing new requirements to be met by new buildings to make them more energy efficient than similar buildings built in the past.
We are particularly happy that the amendment would apply to all new buildings: “residential and commercial buildings, places of learning and worship, certain medical clinics and other categories of buildings” as per your statement.
We also note that, among the targets set is a requirement that “at least 50% by volume of the annual average hot water heating requirement shall be provided by means other than electrical resistance heating, including but not limited to solar heating, heat pumps, heat recovery from other systems or processes and renewable combustible fuel”.
SESSA’s largest division is the Solar Water Heating Division (SWHD), which has close to 400 members, many of which are black SMME’s. This amendment is in line with government’s national solar water heating strategy launched in November last year, which envisages the rollout of 1 million solar water heaters by 2014 and another 4 million by 2020.
Our said SWHD members are eagerly awaiting the passing of this amendment as it will certainly stimulate the SWH market (which is currently quite sluggish). It will enable them to create thousands of jobs in South Africa and also stimulate local manufacturing of solar water heaters, all of which are among your and our common objectives.
The amendments that the DTI are proposing will also stimulate the further training, development and employment of the envisaged “competent persons” that would be required to certify that new buildings do meet the new standards in energy efficiency.
We support and applaud you, the DTI, for taking this bold step. It represents a major milestone as the building sector seeks to contribute to greater energy efficiencies required in the country, and thus reduce the amount of carbon emissions associated with the country’s dominant method of generating electricity: burning coal.
We owe our children and all future generations a more environmentally sustainable legacy. We thank you for this opportunity to comment on the proposed amendments and hope that the final version will not depart significantly from this draft. We look forward to your confirmation of this correspondence and positive response in this regard.
Yours sincerely
Justice Marabwa
Vice Chairman, SESSA |
Turn to the green way of life |
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Despite the endless benefits and rewards that solar energy offers, some consumers may still be hesitant to turn to the green way of life. The question we all need to ask ourselves is: Why not?
- Why not use the unlimited source of the sun’s radiation to heat your water or generate electricity?
- Why not pay off your initial investment on a solar heating system within two to three years, saving on electricity costs and ultimately receiving energy for free?
- Why not see a return on investment of about 20% and subsequently increase the value of your property at the same time?
- Why not support an industry that creates five times more jobs per kWh than any other energy suppliers?
- Why not save 30% of your electricity bill every month by installing a solar geyser?
- Why not get started now and connect your current geyser to a stylish solar heating panel?
- Why not supplement the high consumption electric heat pump of your pool with an extremely efficient solar heating system?
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Combined legislative and financial mechanisms for Solar Water Heater mass rollout |
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A solar water heater (SWH) project funded by REEEP and run by Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) has already made progress towards establishing SWH businesses throughout South Africa.
However, one of the main barriers to these businesses upscaling is the lack of supportive legislation which would help minimise their risk. Following input from the previous REEEP project, the City of Cape Town SWH bylaw process is on track again. This legislation will require new buildings and alterations to install SWHs. The City of Ekurhuleni is also planning to develop similar legislation.
Read the full article here:
http://www.reeep.org/index.php?assetType=project&assetId=119 |
Are we making progress? |
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Respective energy consumption patterns in human settlements are distinct. It is notable that electricity accounted for 52% for cooking, 48% for heating and 70% for lighting of the total energy consumed by the residential sector during 2005, a marked increase since 2001.
The remainder of the energy consumed was provided largely by the combustion of wood (20% for cooking, and 25% for heating), and paraffin (21% for cooking, 15% for heating, and 7% for lighting). The use of coal has decreased to 3% and 7% for cooking and heating respectively.
READ MORE |
Utilization of solar energy in South Africa |
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Design curves based on measurements of solar irradiation in South Africa are presented for two geographic areas, the highveld and the Cape Peninsula, giving data on the amount of thermal energy that can be collected from the sun by use of flat-plate solar energy collectors. A brief description of solar collectors and discussion of some of the fundamental aspects of solar energy utilization are included. An example is given to show the design curves may be used to determine the surface area of a solar collector required for a given application. Cost figures are presented which indicate, as an example, that solar energy can be used to provide the domestic hot water supply for a private residence at a cost less than can be realised with conventional coal-burning, oil-burning, or electronic systems.
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Solar Water Heater Advancement Programme |
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The Solar Water Heater Advancement Programme aims to encourage and facilitate the adoption of solar water heaters in Cape Town. A goal of the Energy and Climate Change Strategy adopted by the City of Cape Town is to have 10% of all households and 10% of all City-owned housing equipped with solar water heaters
(SWHs) by the year 2010. To achieve this target the City is engaging in a number of initiatives:
- A Solar Water Heater By-law;
- A subsidisation scheme, using funding obtained from a number of sources to assist staff members with an income below a certain level to afford the fitting of a SWH in their home
- Co-operation with the Central Energy Fund (CEF) in their SWH subsidy scheme for City of Cape Town staff members with salaries in excess of the abovementioned limit
- A project to fit SWHs to the City’s nature reserve facilities
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Solar energy |
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Solar energy is used to power equipment such as watches, calculators, cookers, water heaters, lighting, water pumping, communication, transportation, power generation, and many more. Solar energy, like all other renewable energies, is very safe and environmentally friendly. There are no emissions as the source of fuel is the sun, unlike coal-powered stations.
Most areas in South Africa average more than 2 500 hours of sunshine per year, and average solar-radiation levels range between 4.5 and 6.5kWh/m2 in one day.
The southern African region, and in fact the whole of Africa, has sunshine all year round. The annual 24-hour global solar radiation average is about 220 W/m2 for South Africa, compared with about 150 W/m2 for parts of the USA, and about 100 W/m2 for Europe and the United Kingdom. This makes South Africa's local resource one of the highest in the world.
The use of solar energy is the most readily accessible resource in South Africa. It lends itself to a number of potential uses and the country's solar-equipment industry is developing. Annual photovoltaic (PV) panel-assembly capacity totals 5MW, and a number of companies in South Africa manufacture solar water-heaters.
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Solar energy is the most readily accessible resource in South Africa |
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Most areas in South Africa average more than 2 500 hours of sunshine per year, and average solar-radiation levels range between 4.5 and 6.5kWh/m2 in one day.
The southern African region, and in fact the whole of Africa, has sunshine all year round. The annual 24-hour global solar radiation average is about 220 W/m2 for South Africa, compared with about 150 W/m2 for parts of the USA, and about 100 W/m2 for Europe and the United Kingdom. This makes South Africa's local resource one of the highest in the world.
READ MORE |
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