Fuelwood, paraffin, coal and dung are the primary energy sources in the remaining 3.2 million rural households of South Africa. These cause widespread damage to both people and the environment:From the total South African population of 42 million, 18 million people live in rural areas and have limited access to basic services. The proportion of electrified households in these areas is less than 50% and Eskom, the parastatal electricity utility, recognises that many will remain unconnected for at least the next 10 years. Those rural households that are newly electrified are drawing their energy from coal-fired power stations.
Fuelwood, paraffin, coal and dung are the primary energy sources in the remaining 3.2 million rural households of South Africa. These cause widespread damage to both people and the environment:
When communities have electricity they can engage in more varied activities and their energy consumption increases. Without energy rural homes, health clinics, and schools are completely isolated from the modern world's wealth of resources. Clinics have no means to power refrigerators necessary for vaccine preservation. Children spend hours copying notes off blackboards as village schools have no photocopiers, and without computers, they are trapped in the digital divide of information haves and have-nots.
Energy is therefore a clear requirement for development needs, and South African rural communities need energy now. However, settlements are often so widespread that grid electricity, particularly of high power capacity, will not reach some of them for many years. Even with current levels of grid electrification, not all rural energy needs are met. Wood, coal and other fuels continue to be used for heating and cooking. The problems of the health and safety of rural households and their environments therefore still remain.
Carbon emissions and deforestation are not solved by putting grid electricity into the rural areas of South Africa. In fact, the climate change impact is significantly worsened by grid connections. To reduce the otherwise dramatic increase in greenhouse gas emissions that will continue, immediate alternatives to grid electrification are clearly required. There are non-polluting ways for the millions of people in rural South Africa to get energy.
This project will demonstrate the benefits to remote areas of using a combined PV/LPG energy package. For basic electrical needs, photovoltaic (PV) systems offer a practical solution, provided that financing mechanisms are put in place to enable access for rural households. To meet thermal demands, LP Gas has been shown to provide a successful complementary energy supply in many countries around the world.
Background continued...
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