Abstract
Energy in the form of electricity is of key importance for economic development. South Africa has historically relied primarily on coal for electricity generation, making the electricity sector one of the dominant greenhouse gas emitters. Renewable energy and technologies have the potential to provide solutions such as greenhouse gas emission reduction, diversification of the energy mix, and job creation through manufacturing and industry development. Although South Africa has one of the best resources for wind, solar and biomass, the current renewable energy utilization for electricity generation is less than 2 % of the total electricity generated. The last decade has subsequently been devoted to create renewable energy policies, incentives and plans in order to provide an enabling environment for renewable energy development. However, the deployment of renewable energy projects has (still) been slow. This study therefore provides an overview of the current status of policy and incentives that impact renewable electricity generation, the current renewable electricity generation initiatives, and challenges related to its development in South Africa. The policy implications and recommendations to support future development of renewable electricity generation include: establishing a single coordinating agency or authority; creating public awareness; providing financial support guarantees; and capacity building and skills development.
Highlights
The electricity sector in South Africa contributes to over 60% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector (Blignaut et al, 2005)
The share of coal in electricity generation is more than 90% of the total electricity generated in South Africa (Republic of South Africa, 2009) while renewable electricity generation contributes around 2% (United Nation Statistics Division, 2009)
The recently approved Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2010) provides support for such a development and it indicates that 42% of the new built capacity will be from renewable sources by 2030 (Department of Energy, 2011)
Summary
Wind energy is one of the thriving renewables in the global arena and its use has been on the increase (Global Wind Energy Council, 2009). According to Szewczuk and Prinsloo (2010), several studies provide estimates of the wind energy potential in South Africa and range from a low of 500 MW to a high of 56000 MW
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