Sun shines on platteland

Investing in renewable energy not only goes some way towards solving the power crisis, it also boosts rural development

In just 4½ years, renewable energy has gone from zero production for SA’s national grid to hero status. Renewable energy projects — using wind, solar and smaller-scale hydro power projects, as well as biomass, biogas and landfill gas — have contributed more than 6 000 MW to our national power supply and have prevented 200 hours of load-shedding.

At the department of energy, we hoped for that and we planned for that.

Our Integrated Resources Plan 2010 set the goal of renewable energy being able to provide more than a fifth of SA’s power needs by 2030 and we are on target already.

We also hoped that the renewable energy independent power producers procurement programme would benefit the poorer communities around our country more broadly. Once again, our hopes are being realised — and surpassed.

So far 92 renewable energy projects have been approved, many of them situated in areas of poverty and inequality.

The distribution of independent power producers (IPPs) depends on the locations where renewable energy resources offer the most potential.

For example, solar IPPs are concentrated in the Northern Cape, where the solar radiation intensity is the highest. Wind IPPs are largely located in the coastal regions of the Eastern and Western Cape, because of the strong wind flows along these shores.

As part of the renewables programme, the IPPs are spending on socioeconomic and enterprise development over the next 20 years in the communities where they are located.

So far, the 92 projects have committed R91,1bn to various development initiatives.

One of the towns being regenerated thanks to renewable energy investments is De Aar in the Northern Cape. More or less at the geographic heart of SA, it was once a thriving farming community and transport hub but about 40 years ago it began to fall into steady decline.

Construction of De Aar Solar Power has now created 2 000 jobs. It is one of two solar power producers in the area, the other being Solar Capital De Aar. Together they have contributed to what the mayor, Sipho Sthonga, called “a massive economic injection into our area”.

This has been a new beginning for a small town fortunate enough to be rich in one of the resources of the future — sunshine.

The renewable energy programme commits IPPs to respond to community needs in the key areas of education and literacy, information & communication technology, health care and transport, and to skills development and training.

Thanks to its two solar power projects, De Aar is now experiencing its own renewal.

During Solar Capital’s consultations with stakeholders it became clear that Internet access was lacking. Even where it was available, lack of money for data was a major problem. The solution, Solar Capital saw, was free Wi-Fi, making access to the Web available to this disadvantaged community.

A computer laboratory has also been installed at the community training centre, with 13 workstations. It will offer basic computer training through Excel and Web design to entrepreneurial development and project management.

The training available includes a module about responsible drinking, as excessive alcohol consumption has been a community health issue. Just 15 years ago, researchers found that De Aar was the town with the highest reported incidence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the world. Solar Capital is funding a healthy mother, healthy baby programme and has contributed R2,1m over the past two years.

Many other problems in the area, from education to health to feeding schemes, are being addressed thanks to the solar power companies.

It is a matter of regional, provincial and national pride that, thanks to renewable energy, this town at the heart of SA has had a new beginning.