Surprisingly abundant, renewable energy is proving to be a more viable option in the industry. The power crisis has accelerated the need to diversify the energy mix of the nation and of our need to move towards other sources of energy alternatives, as the water heating solar, wind, photovoltaic, hydraulic and solar thermal technologies.
South Africa is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases due to its dependence on coal, a main resource energy native to generate most of its electricity, and a significant proportion of their liquid fuels. On the other hand, it is home to one of the largest sources of solar radiation, so the investment in solar technology and research more attractive, since it has the successful Conference recent inverter solar Park in Upington.
In addition to strengthening our Green angenda, the country is committed to reducing emissions. Irvan Damon, Ambassador of the brand of the society of energy sustainable in the South of Africa (SESSA) heating Solar water says: "South Africa has committed to reduce emissions by 34% by 2020 carbon." To do this, Eskom energy supplier has also proactively committed to reduce its dependence on coal as the main source of power generation.
While the cost of electricity is still one of the lowest in the world, Damon says South Africans need to remember them practice more energy-saving habits. "Most of us have a high discount rate, and they prefer not to invest in saving devices energy might cost more at first, but with greater economic and environmental benefits later," he said.
According to Damon, the infrastructure of energy in South Africa could be a mixture of higher power from renewable sources, contributing to greater stability of the network and energy security. "When the network is not able to deeply penetrate the countryside, with the grid options, like wind, solar water heating and photovoltaic energy become more viable", it adds.
The Government is working together with the private sector for the supply of electricity from South Africa and again the distribution system in balance. With teachers of policy frameworks such as the integrated resources Plan, drawing a map of the DNA of our energy matrix for the next two decades, the Government has made enormous progress towards a landscape covering the more positive and more green energy.
At the same time, the importance of reducing the demand for electricity of price properly, as well as the promotion of energy efficiency and deterrence, and if necessary, prohibit energy inefficiency may also be in the near future. Damon said: "at the time as the climate of energy in South Africa seeks optimistic with the Government creating the investment climate favorable in most of the existing energy players and new renewable and also the promotion of energy efficiency strategies and policy."
He says: "We are seeing a more pragmatic collaboration of the main actors, from conventional renewable energies in South Africa, which will also be of great help to achieve our target 2020 emissions".
"In addition, the issue of the creation of green collar jobs is very interesting, some preliminary studies have indicated that the renewable sector could add 300 000 jobs in the next 10 years, 20 000 of them in the next two years." To this end, the Government, as well as key industry bodies, have focused on the acceleration of the local manufacture of key components for the green economy, focusing on local skills development programs ", he says."
"According to some international experience has shown that programmes targeting the built environment can have a big impact and therefore the ecological transformation of South Africa construction industry is important and could produce more jobs." Invest in the manufacturing sector and green-collar jobs also will be more competitive at the international level SA, the Chinese Government has supported its renewable energy programme to a large extent, the production of little more than one million jobs from working, 600 000 in the area of solar water alone ", concluded."
Damon also takes note that, recently, the Government echoed that wanted to create 5 million jobs in the next decade. "I think that the renewable sector could be one of the main drivers of not only help achieve this result at the local level, but that also contributes to our competitive advantage in the export of green technology market".