CAPE TOWN - Agricultural association AgriSA says it’s been working towards introducing more solar-run farms in the country. The organisation is actively engaging with Eskom to minimise the impact of load shedding on the agricultural sector.

Chairperson of Economics and Trade, Nicol Jansen said 13 solar farms are already being built and connected to the grid but more can be done.
“We are trying to speed up the process with Eskom and Nersa (National Energy Regulator of South Africa) for those who are interested in building solar farms and who have access to capital. It is possible to get alternative energy but that is a long-term solution that is a high capital cost.”

Jansen said the entire country stands to benefit from the additional generating that will be available to the grid.
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Advances in technology make small-scale solar systems more reliable, and they’re getting much cheaper.

Rapid advances in technology has pushed renewable energy sources from an expensive option that only environmentalists advocated to an economically viable alternative worldwide.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) says in a recent study that the cost of renewable energy sources like wind and solar continue to fall drastically and will start to become cheaper than fossil fuels by 2020.

Irena based its research on the cost of new and completed projects worldwide. While solar projects are still relatively expensive in comparison to hydro power, onshore wind and geothermal sources, the cost of solar plants has dropped by more than 70% since 2010 and continues to fall, says the report. “Auction prices [tender prices in SA] for photovoltaic projects have reached a record low per kWh (kilowatt hour] in Dubai, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Canada and Germany. By 2020, all renewable power generation technologies that are now in use are expected to be comparable with fossil fuel, with most at the lower end of the range or undercutting fossil fuel.”

The lower prices of solar systems due to technological advances and more competition in the solar industry globally has resulted in a big drop in the capital cost to install a solar system for a small business or a household in SA too. Meanwhile, Eskom’s slow decline motivated people to look for alternatives.​

Peter Bergs, managing director of Specialized Solar Systems, says demand for solar installations has increased significantly in the last few years. “More and more businesses are installing photovoltaic solar systems to reduce their energy cost. In addition, it gives them back-up power during power failures.”

He says demand for residential installations has also increased sharply during the last two years as electricity prices have increased, while the cost of solar systems has fallen dramatically and the effectiveness of new generating technology has improved tremendously. “We are receiving a lot more enquiries lately because of the recent wave of load-shedding,” he adds.

The cost of off-grid solar installations has decreased significantly over the last 10 years, with the prices of some components falling nearly 70%, according to Specialized Solar Systems’ website.

“The price of solar panels has decreased to around R5 per watt generating capacity compared to between R11 and R12 per watt 10 years ago,” says Bergs. This means that a 100-watt solar panel costs some R500 today compared to R1 200 in 2008.

Inverters – the heart of a solar system that converts 12 volt direct current to 220 volt alternating current to run household appliances – have also decreased in price, while their capacity, quality, effectiveness and features have improved significantly. For instance, most modern pure sine wave inverters are cheaper than the older modified sine wave inverters, and even cheaper than the bigger and bulkier square wave inverters of years ago.

Modern inverters combine charging controllers, battery management, seamless switch-over from different power sources and computerised operation in one compact unit. Good quality inverters produce pure, stable electricity without dips and surges, which results in electrical and electronic appliances working better.

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Are floating solar farms better than land-based ones?
Who needs to take up so much land when the Earth is 70 per cent water…
Where land is scarce, floating solar farms make it possible to generate renewable energy without taking up space that might be needed for farming or other purposes. The cooling effect of the water allows the floating solar cells to run more efficiently than on land. Most floating solar farms are installed on artificial lakes or reservoirs. For example, the world’s largest floating solar farm, recently unveiled in China near the city of Huainan, sits on top of a former coal mining area that has been flooded. By covering the water’s surface, floating solar farms reduce evaporation, saving water.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane wants the government to allow billionaire Patrice Motsepe and other independent power producers (IPP) to contribute to the power grid.
The opposition leader was speaking to a small group of his party supporters outside Eskom's head offices in Megawatt Park, Sunninghill on Wednesday.
He said load shedding was the creation of an "ignorant" ANC government which did not want IPPs to function so that top Eskom officials could continue benefitting from the state-owned entity.
"During the national day of action, we will ensure that we communicate effectively that the ANC government has failed the people of South Africa and that we need a plan immediately that will ensure that we do not continue with load shedding. And if you want to keep the lights on, vote DA," Maimane said.

He stood on a ladder, which had been propped up against a pole, where he put up one of his party's posters.
Maimane added that South Africa was in a crisis and that load shedding was not helping the "grappling economy".
"Our view is that we must call upon all sectors of society and put together a plan to ensure that the grid is stabilised, and the immediate people to contact should be big energy producers, such as aluminium smelters."
He reiterated that Eskom should be broken into two entities - one for distribution and the other for generation. 
The DA leader said ultimately, the distribution entity should be privatised so that other power producers could compete with it.
This is in contrast to the plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address stating that Eskom will be split into three separate state entities.
"The ANC will not face up to its own stakeholders... and wants to protect its own alliances, rather than the citizens," he said.

The DA's second deputy federal chairperson, Natasha Mazzone, who joined Maimane, added that "95% of the power on SA's grid was produced by a mismanaged power utility which does not have a secured baseline".
"Motsepe has got companies and he is not the only one [who has an interest in IPPs]... and given the chance, as soon as next week, [they could] start adding their energy into the grid," said Mazzone.
There were allegations that the IPP procurement programme bidding process, which is currently under way, is questionable.
But Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has dismissed this and at a press briefing in February, he said "the tender process is fair, open and transparent".

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The electricity crises in South Africa is real, watch the video....

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An independent macroeconomic study undertaken by Standard Bank has found that the first phase of Area 4 concession’s Rovuma liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, in Mozambique, has the potential to deliver 15.2-million tonnes of LNG a year.
The project is expected to attract between $27-billion and $32-billion in investment that will monetise 2.6-billion cubic feet a day of offshore LNG resources, adding between $15-billion and $18-billion a year to Mozambique’s gross domestic product.

The project will contribute to growing Mozambique into the fourth-largest LNG producer globally.

Mozambique will become a supplier of LNG to some of the world’s largest economies, such as China, which is deepening fuel-switching policies aimed at replacing coal with gas as an energy source, says Standard Bank.

The Area 4 concession will reach a final investment decision for the project’s first phase before the end of the year.

Standard Bank Southern Africa oil and gas head Paul Eardley-Taylor says Rovuma LNG will employ about 20 500 construction workers and 1 300 operational workers, while creating additional employment opportunities from various value chain and reinvestment activities associated with the support, supply and profits arising from the commercial operation of Rovuma LNG. 

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With load shedding here to stay for the foreseeable future, it’s back to basics for South Africans.
Call it load shedding, or rolling blackouts, the fact is it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future and South Africans are going to have to learn to live with it for a while yet.

The Citizen spoke to Lungile Mashele, an energy specialist at the Development Bank of South Africa, who also holds qualifications in economics, insolvency law, cost engineering and energy, about practical ways to minimise the effects.

“Have your work and home load shedding schedules handy. There’s no point in sitting in three-hour traffic to get to work to discover that there are no lights. Rather work from home until your office has lights,” advised Mashele.

“Keep your phone, power bank and torch charged and ready for a blackout. Invest in power-surge plugs. Continuous outages and related trips may damage your appliances.”

There is a growing conversation in the country over which is better: solar photo-voltaic power or fuel-driven generators.

“The preferred option is a complete retrofit of a home using gas to cook and for water heating, or solar water heating,” Mashele said.

“In addition to that, investing in solar PV with an inverter and battery storage will sustain you during periods of load shedding.”

Mashele explained an inverter converted the direct current produced by the panels to alternating current, and synchronised the power produced within the home with the Eskom grid.

“This option requires a rather large capital outlay. However, with the rising costs of electricity, it has a generally low payback period. A typical suburban household will require an investment of about R80,000. Depending on your consumption you can recover your costs within two to five years,” Mashele said.

“Generators present a cheaper alternative in terms of capital cost (about R10,000), but in the long run, the fuel cost renders this option far more expensive. Diesel generators can present a safety risk and are a noise nuisance not allowed by many body corporates.”

Load shedding survival tips

Plan your activities and travel around anticipated load shedding.
Be creative with dinners and activities to keep yourself and your family entertained.
Have braais and set up a tent for the kids with a campfire, especially during this holiday period.
Invest in rechargeable emergency LED lights. They are bright enough to light up the room for homework and household activities.
One can also buy an inexpensive two-burner gas stove at any major retailer and cook using gas.
Load shedding affects the ability of the water utility to pump water, so make sure you have water stored in the house.
It also means no fibre to the home, so make sure your phone has data or airtime.
Carry cash, as some retailers are unable to take card payments.

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