Even though South Africa has great potential for renewable energy, the adoption of renewable energy is very low. According to researchers, about 10% of households have adopted renewable energy for their day-to-day use. 90% of the South African population has yet to accept and adopt renewable energy. This is because renewable energy is still beyond affordability. About 55% of urban and rural households are classified as low-income households, and 20% of the remaining households are considered middle-income households. Most (75%) of urban and rural communities struggle to accept and adopt renewable energy because of economic challenges.
In South Africa, there is a lack of political commitment to renewable energy technology adoption; lack of clear regulations, misalignment in state policies, and non-existent government support are the significant barriers to adopting renewable energy. Inconsistencies and a lack of coordination have plagued national policies aimed at promoting the deployment of renewable energy. These policies, generally, have proven relatively ineffective at increasing the country’s renewable energy capacity to its full potential. The lack of government support for off-grid renewable energy applications, be it through incentives or political support of financing schemes like energy service contracting and subsidies, is also another barrier.
The two main barriers to using renewable energy in South Africa are the energy innovation system and the high cost of renewable energy technologies. Renewable energy systems are costly to implement initially but provide high economic returns in the long run. For individual South African households, investing in rooftop solar is expensive, which locks many of us into dependence on Eskom. However, solar and wind electricity per kilowatt hour is cheaper than any other form of electricity.
Technical and infrastructure barriers and challenges confront renewable energy projects. The absence of energy storage is becoming a main technical barrier to electricity production from renewable energy resources. There is limited grid infrastructure in areas where renewable resources are most abundant. This alone should push the government and Eskom to add renewable energy capabilities to the grid.
In addition, a diverse category of policy barriers relates to socio-cultural and socio-economic issues. Urban poor and rural off-grid communities are often under-represented in political decision-making.
There is also a need for a better design of carbon taxes (which are now too low when factoring in allowances and exemptions). If properly designed, they would contribute to decarbonization by providing a more effective price signal to support a reduction in the use of greenhouse gases.
Although South Africa is facing challenges in its use of renewable energy, there are reasons for optimism. The country is fortunate to have well-endowed with non-depletable sustainable energy sources, notably solar and wind. Renewable technology is slowly being deployed in South Africa to capture some of this energy.
PRIMARY INFLUENCER
Dear Minister of Electricity and Energy (Minister: Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Dr)
Email: Tsakane.Khambane@dmre.gov.za
My name is Rugare Zhou, and I am the Climate Scorecard Country Manager for South Africa. I believe South Africa is fortunate because it is endowed with non-depletable sustainable energy sources, notably solar and wind. However, few people and organizations are accepting and adopting renewable technology. As Climate Scorecard, we have some suggestions that can help you as a government increase renewable energy adoption in South Africa. The suggestions are as follows:
- Better system design, maintenance, and planned upgrades must improve the energy grid’s reliability. In addition, more infrastructure needs to be invested in, and the grid needs to be modernized to include more solar and wind power.
- The government must create an attractive package for building and using renewable energy, such as offering subsidies, loans, and early public investment.
- To increase access to renewable energy, the government should introduce mini-grids in hard-to-reach areas (e.g., rural areas), use solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, and partner with energy companies.
- The government should lessen bureaucratic procedures in the Renewable Energy sector so that private sector firms and individuals have better opportunities to compete and innovate. Increasing carbon pricing will enable the government and private sector to adopt and accept renewable energy.
- Local communities and indigenous groups need to be actively involved in energy policy-making, as this will help them understand the need to shift to renewable energy. Also, local communities and workers need training and education in renewable energy.
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard South Africa Country Manager Rugare Zhou.
List of references
- https://www.greenbuildingafrica.co.za/barriers-to-adopting-residential-solar-in-south-africa/
- https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/blogs/53334/hidden-truths-of-why-we-dont-see-much-renewable-energy-in-south-africa/
- Kabel, T. S. and Bassim, M., 2020, Reasons for Shifting and Barriers to Renewable Energy: A Literature Review. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy | Vol 10 • Issue 2 • 2020