Sparks Electrical News June 2019

ENERGY MEASUREMENT AND SUPPLY

15

WHAT WILL SOUTH AFRICA LOOK LIKE POWERED 100% BY RENEWABLE ENERGY?

T he World Bank and the International Mon- etary Fund are loathe to lend funds to utili- ties and governments that want to build coal power plants. And, according to the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, over the next 10 years Eskom will close four power stations, or 8800 MW of in- stalled capacity, which will cost 30 000 direct jobs and have a multiplier effect of the potential loss of 70 000 indirect jobs, mainly in the transport and storage sectors. Genergy believes that Eskom must be allowed to develop its own renewable energy resources in competition with others operating in the same field. And if the government wants to subsidise renewable energy, Eskom should get the same advantage. So, if Eskom is permitted to develop its own renewable energy resources and more private organisations invested in the renewable power generation, what will South Africa look like powered 100% by renewable energy? 1. Big on wind and solar The bulk of our electricity will come from the most affordable technologies: wind and solar photovoltaic (PV). In areas with the best renewable resources, big wind and solar projects connected to transmission lines will generate electricity to power South Africa’s industry, transport, cities and exports. Modelling by Genergy suggests that solar and wind generation could supply up to 90% of South Africa’s electricity needs, with the remaining 10% generated by smaller and more experimental

renewable energy sources as technological developments allow. South Africa’s best solar irradiance is in the Northern Cape and its coastal regions have the highest wind potential. 2. Many technologies in many locations Solar and wind farms will be spread across our vast country, sharing their output. The supply gaps will be filled with a range of on-demand renewables and storage, such as concentrating solar thermal with storage, pumped hydro, batteries (grid and domes- tic), sustainable bioenergy and more. 3. Small, so everyone can benefit Genergy believes that the bulk of the country’s fu- ture energy generation will be local and customer- owned in homes, businesses and communities. This will mean solar panels on every sunny roof, and batteries in households and commercial buildings. In apartment blocks, microgrids will be powered by solar and batteries. Renters will join community so- lar projects and landlords will be required to make properties more energy efficient. When you go to the shopping centre and plug in your electric car, it will be shaded by solar panels. 4. Demand is as important as supply Future electricity use will be much more dynamic. If the sun is shining or a gale is blowing, smart software will send a signal to energy users to turn on their pumps and fill up their batteries. When wind genera- tion is low, batteries will be signalled to turn on. This i

'demand response' will deliver reliable grid electricity and lower energy bills. A win-win. We will also need to use energy much more efficiently, and more than double productivity. Our houses, buildings, equipment, appliances, transport and industrial processes will all need to become more efficient. 5. Poles and wires, we’ll build them only when we need them Our electricity grid will continue to act as an essen- tial service. However, households and businesses will be incentivised to use the local grid infrastruc- ture through revised tariffs and peer-to-peer energy trading. And while households will draw less electricity from the grid than they do now (thanks to energy efficiency or rooftop solar), the demand for electricity overall will increase as we power up domestic transport and industrial processes, ensuring that the grid we need is affordable for all. In places where it’s cost effective, edge of grid communities will be slowly taken off the grid. As the poles and wires become too expensive to maintain for a handful of users, these communities will be powered by renewable microgrids and storage. 6. Industry and transport go renewable too As our grid gets cleaner, it will make sense to take the pollution out of our transport and industrial sec- tors. Transforming our transport sector to make it powered by 100% renewable energy will also require

mode-shifting to greater public and active transport. In future, heavy transport, such as garbage trucks, is likely to be powered by renewable hydrogen. In the industrial sector, we will see the rise of renewable in- dustry centres where heat-intensive industries can access renewable heat from bioenergy, concentrat- ing solar thermal and renewable hydrogen produc- tion. These spaces will also be the key locations for South Africa’s renewable export industries which will support countries in the rest of Africa as well as Asia. 7. Resilient to extreme weather While doing our part in cutting pollution would help to avert the worst aspects of climate change, we cannot avoid the warming that has already hap- pened. So our future electricity system will have to cope with more extreme weather events. If urban and rural areas become ‘islands’ and disconnected from the national grid, they will need sufficient capacity to power themselves as standalone grids for at least six to 12 hours. This will create a more resilient and reliable electricity system; the Danish electricity operator already does this to better manage its system. Such a transition has engineering and policy challenges that need to be addressed, but with our smartest minds dedicated to the cause, creating an energy system of the future is already underway. The question that remains is: Will we do it at the speed that climate change demands?

Enquiries: www.genergy.co.za

ENERGY MONTH TIME TO INVEST IN ENERGY “M ay was Energy Month, a time when the South African government and all authorities involved in energy re- newed their call to South Africans to conserve energy,” says Dr Thembakazi Mali, interim CEO, South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI).

across Africa, as the energy challenges that South Africa is facing are not unique in the African context. Events, such as the African Utility Week, which has been bringing industry stakeholders together for many years, encourage learning from each other. There has been a definite growth in the collaborative attitude towards improving energy efficiency among many African countries, with a number of initiatives being established, such as the Southern African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREE), in Namibia. “Looking ahead, the ideal energy solution for the African continent is a combination of energy carriers. Gas must play a role, as must solar and wind, which we have in abundance in different areas in South Africa. We believe all three are the way forward for the continent and will avoid a situation where all energy eggs are in a single basket. May should mark the start of a year long effort to conserve energy at home, in the business and at a national level,” concluded Mali.

“There has been a dramatic increase in the use of rooftop PV installations in buildings of all types – shopping malls, offices, municipalities, hotels and homes – and its incorporation into new building designs, which is very positive. There has also been an encouraging swing towards thermal passive design, where the orientation of the building, and features such as insulation, location, layout, window size and placement, and shading, are all taken into account at the design stage of the building, to reduce dependence on the national grid. “These growth points notwithstanding, more focus needs to be given to R&D in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, which has experienced an unfortunate reduction in funding in recent years, because there have just been an overwhelming number of other pressing social areas demanding R&D spend. Some South African universities and TVET colleges are recognising this need for sustainable energy R&D and are trying to do more with limited funds. “There is tremendous value to be gained in energy collaboration

THEME ANNOUNCED FOR AFRICA ENERGY INDABA 2020 F or too many generations Africa has languished with energy sys- tems that provide energy that is neither accessible nor affordable to the majority of its citizens. The focus has been on transformation of the sector to provide light, heat and clean cooking to the impoverished. The technology revolution that is currently sweeping the globe provides an opportunity for Africa, unburdened with legacy infrastructure, to Transition directly to modern energy solutions. By embracing Digitisation, Decentralisation, Decarbonisation, De- mocratisation and Deregulation of its energy systems, Africa can ex- perience social and economic development at a pace hitherto only dreamed of. The 2020 Africa Energy Indaba, under the theme, From Transformation to Transition, will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from March 3-4, 2020. “Corporates and small businesses need to take responsibility to effect change in sustainable energy. Creating awareness at every level of society is a priority, not only about electricity and energy, but also about water and waste – everything is integrated and resources are limited. Companies of varying sizes can also look at adopting policies such as ISO 50001, which supports organisations in all sectors to use energy more efficiently through the development of an energy management system. It helps people be aware of what they are doing and identify opportunities to improve efficiencies and reduce waste. “However, it is not just conservation that must concern us but also innovation in the energy business to create opportunities in a number of areas, including business development, job creation, improved energy efficiency and more. The current electricity crisis must refocus attention on the need to be more sustainable and more efficient. “There are huge opportunities for digitalisation and other disruptive technologies in the renewable energy sector, increasing installations, creating demand for new jobs and uplifting the local economy. If we take the whole sustainable energy drive seriously and incorporate Industry 4.0 technologies and upskill people, we will stimulate growth of a completely new industry and all that it represents.

Enquiries: www.sacccs.org.za

Enquiries: info@energyindaba.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

JUNE 2019