Energy Efficiency Made Simple Vol IV

8 / 80

Energy and wealth creation are inextricably linked. The availability
of energy sets man free from the physical toil required to win
the basic necessities of life – food, water and housing. Freed
from physical toil, we can live longer and healthier lives. We can start
to control population. Without energy, we need our children to care for
us because we are aged before we are 45 and dead before we are 55.
With energy, we can gather in cities and be surrounded by the gifts
of modern life, including living long enough to see our grandchildren
become adults. Figure 1 shows how directly electrical consumption
and wealth are related.
on a scale presently undreamt of. So let us reflect on where we are,
where we might be going, and what we will have to do to get there.
Where we are
Today, the energy scene of sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by one
player, South Africa. Its citizens enjoy an average of nearly 6 000 kWh
per capita per annum. Interestingly, the per capita consumption has
been constant for 25 years, so all growth in generation has been
devoted to the well-being of its people, not to economic growth.
Figure 3: Effective overnight costs of various generating technologies [2].
Energy in sub-Saharan Africa
Today and tomorrow
P Lloyd, Energy Institute, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Sub-Saharan Africa is currently developing strongly, albeit from
a very low base. One of the essential elements for development
is, however, not receiving the attention it needs, namely energy
and particularly electrical energy. The Republic of South Africa is
struggling to meet its own needs, yet it has about 40 times as much
per capita as the average other sub-Saharan nations. This provides
us with a measure of the gap that is to be closed if the region is to
have a chance of achieving its potential in the foreseeable future.
Figure 1: The relation between wealth, as measured by GDP per capita,
and electrical consumption [1].
As your income approaches $100 000 per capita (in 2011 $), the
chances are that you will use over 10 000 kWh per year. At under
$10 000 per capita, you will be lucky to have more than 500 kWh per
year. It is not clear whether wealth drives consumption or consumption
drives wealth – but what we do know is that you must have energy.
Energy is absolutely necessary for development. However, it is not a
sufficient condition – there are energy-rich nations whose socio-eco-
nomic culture holds back their economic development.
It seems likely that over the next 35 years, sub-Saharan Africa’s
population will increase dramatically; that we will see cities springing
up across our continent; and that we will need to generate power
Figure 2: Per-capita consumption of power in sub-Saharan Africa
– 1990 – 2012 [1].
100000
10000
1000
100
10
1
100000 10000 1000 100 1000000
GDP per capita, 2011$, PPP
kWh per capita
R2 = 0.8241
160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
Pulv coal
IGCCFBC
NuclearOCGTCCGTWind
Solar Thermal
PV CPV
Biomass
Hydro
ZAR(2012)/Effective kW
Angola
Congo, Dem. Rep
Ghana
Mozambique
Nigeria
Sub-Saharan Africa
Zambia
10000
1000
100
10
1992
kWh per capita
19901991 1993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011
Botswana
Congo, Rep.
Kenya
Namibia
South Africa
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
1
There is a wonderful map of Africa that shows how you can fit the
countries of the world into the area of Africa. It is a humbling image –
especially if you are not African. Energy is the key to continental
development. The opportunities are enormous.
6 ENERGY EFFICIENCY MADE SIMPLE 2015