Derrick
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From Business Day:
LIKE a seasoned salesman, Eskom has been trying to sweet-talk South Africans into switching from the power guzzling conventional geysers to solar water heaters.
The argument is compelling. Should 900000 solar water heaters be installed, SA could save 578MW.
With the country battling inadequate electricity supply, it is time to tap natural resources for energy. SA is blessed with a lot of sunshine.
Given that geysers are responsible for up to 40% of domestic power consumption, the roll-out of solar water heaters would lead to substantial power savings.
Government has set a target for renewable energy to contribute 10000GWh of final energy consumption by 2013. According to Eskom, solar water heating could contribute up to 23% of this target. But a lack of manufacturing capacity is often cited as an Achilles heel in the efforts to stimulate the industry. Eskom wants to distribute 900000 units in five years.
By the end of December, it had installed 800 systems.
Eskom says in 2007, there were only nine suppliers of solar water heaters. So one of Eskom’s challenges is attracting investors into the industry.
One way of doing this was to encourage large conventional geyser manufacturers to enter the solar market.
Judging by the amount of sunshine in SA, solar energy should be well developed by now. It is not. The reasons for the industry’s tardy development are not hard to find.
For years electricity was cheap and abundant — there was no motivation for solar energy — nor any form of renewable energy for that matter, businessman Zwelakhe Sisulu says.
“South African electricity was among the cheapest in the world.
“Secondly, the whole lobby for cleaner energy is a relatively new phenomenon. It only took off in the 1990s,” Sisulu says.
His company, Matla Solar Power, will soon be manufacturing solar water heaters in East London. Matla, a joint venture between Sisulu and Empowerdex director Chia-Chao Wu, has commenced with the construction of the plant in East London’s industrial development zone. Eastern Cape Development Corporation, the province’s economic development agency, has provided a R20m loan.
Matla chairman Sisulu says the plant would have a capacity to produce 30000 units a year. He says this can easily go up to 50000 units a year. Sisulu says Matla will provide a panel and a tank for R10000.
Consumers can end up paying less than this as Eskom offers a rebate to those who purchase solar water heaters, he says. The rebate system enables consumers to buy solar water heating systems from accredited suppliers and claim a portion of the cost back.
Eskom says 26 suppliers and 25 distributors have been accredited for the programme.
“We also expect the municipalities to come up with finance structures that will ease the burden. So the unit will cost R10000 but consumers will end up paying less,” Sisulu says.
He says they chose Eastern Cape because of the attractive terms offered by the East London Industrial Development Zone. The nearby harbour also tilted the scales in the city’s favour.
“The infrastructure there just lends itself to this kind of project,” he says. Sisulu says the factory will be fully operational by June.
Sisulu, a businessman with interests in media, publishing and resources, has spotted a gap in the solar water heater sector and has taken to it like a duck to water. “The growing demand for renewable energy means there are tremendous opportunities for a company like ours,” he says. He says two metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng recently expressed an interest in getting 500000 solar water heater units over the next three years. In addition, new construction regulations for housing require that solar water heaters be installed in new homes, he says.
Several energy experts have bemoaned the slow development of the energy sector in Africa despite abundant natural resources. “One of the things that drove me to this is that African leaders are obsessed with aid. They go around the globe with a begging bowl,” Sisulu says.
The project will create 200 jobs. Another 1000 jobs will be created through the installation services which will operate as a franchise for the installation and maintenance of the solar powered water heaters.
Matla has bigger plans.
Sisulu has not ruled out
“There have been so many breakthroughs in terms of technology,” he says.
Matla has worked closely with Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute.
“The Taiwanese lead the way in the research and development of solar-powered water heaters, and Ming Yang and Mitri have enabled us to hit the ground running,” Sisulu says.
LIKE a seasoned salesman, Eskom has been trying to sweet-talk South Africans into switching from the power guzzling conventional geysers to solar water heaters.
The argument is compelling. Should 900000 solar water heaters be installed, SA could save 578MW.
With the country battling inadequate electricity supply, it is time to tap natural resources for energy. SA is blessed with a lot of sunshine.
Given that geysers are responsible for up to 40% of domestic power consumption, the roll-out of solar water heaters would lead to substantial power savings.
Government has set a target for renewable energy to contribute 10000GWh of final energy consumption by 2013. According to Eskom, solar water heating could contribute up to 23% of this target. But a lack of manufacturing capacity is often cited as an Achilles heel in the efforts to stimulate the industry. Eskom wants to distribute 900000 units in five years.
By the end of December, it had installed 800 systems.
Eskom says in 2007, there were only nine suppliers of solar water heaters. So one of Eskom’s challenges is attracting investors into the industry.
One way of doing this was to encourage large conventional geyser manufacturers to enter the solar market.
Judging by the amount of sunshine in SA, solar energy should be well developed by now. It is not. The reasons for the industry’s tardy development are not hard to find.
For years electricity was cheap and abundant — there was no motivation for solar energy — nor any form of renewable energy for that matter, businessman Zwelakhe Sisulu says.
“South African electricity was among the cheapest in the world.
“Secondly, the whole lobby for cleaner energy is a relatively new phenomenon. It only took off in the 1990s,” Sisulu says.
His company, Matla Solar Power, will soon be manufacturing solar water heaters in East London. Matla, a joint venture between Sisulu and Empowerdex director Chia-Chao Wu, has commenced with the construction of the plant in East London’s industrial development zone. Eastern Cape Development Corporation, the province’s economic development agency, has provided a R20m loan.
Matla chairman Sisulu says the plant would have a capacity to produce 30000 units a year. He says this can easily go up to 50000 units a year. Sisulu says Matla will provide a panel and a tank for R10000.
Consumers can end up paying less than this as Eskom offers a rebate to those who purchase solar water heaters, he says. The rebate system enables consumers to buy solar water heating systems from accredited suppliers and claim a portion of the cost back.
Eskom says 26 suppliers and 25 distributors have been accredited for the programme.
“We also expect the municipalities to come up with finance structures that will ease the burden. So the unit will cost R10000 but consumers will end up paying less,” Sisulu says.
He says they chose Eastern Cape because of the attractive terms offered by the East London Industrial Development Zone. The nearby harbour also tilted the scales in the city’s favour.
“The infrastructure there just lends itself to this kind of project,” he says. Sisulu says the factory will be fully operational by June.
Sisulu, a businessman with interests in media, publishing and resources, has spotted a gap in the solar water heater sector and has taken to it like a duck to water. “The growing demand for renewable energy means there are tremendous opportunities for a company like ours,” he says. He says two metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng recently expressed an interest in getting 500000 solar water heater units over the next three years. In addition, new construction regulations for housing require that solar water heaters be installed in new homes, he says.
Several energy experts have bemoaned the slow development of the energy sector in Africa despite abundant natural resources. “One of the things that drove me to this is that African leaders are obsessed with aid. They go around the globe with a begging bowl,” Sisulu says.
The project will create 200 jobs. Another 1000 jobs will be created through the installation services which will operate as a franchise for the installation and maintenance of the solar powered water heaters.
Matla has bigger plans.
Sisulu has not ruled out
“There have been so many breakthroughs in terms of technology,” he says.
Matla has worked closely with Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute.
“The Taiwanese lead the way in the research and development of solar-powered water heaters, and Ming Yang and Mitri have enabled us to hit the ground running,” Sisulu says.