drivers for renewable energy in developing countries - DAAD

Prof Dr Ernst Uken
Head: CPUT Energy Institute
President: Alexander von Humboldt Association
for Southern Africa (S-W Region)
Interim Chair: African-German Network of
Excellence in Science (AGNES)
ukene@cput.ac.za

OVERVIEW
• Electricity Demand exceeds Supply
• Drivers for Renewable Energy, in
•Developed countries (Germany, etc)
•Developing countries (S.Africa,etc)
• Solutions & Recommendations

‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ AS DRIVER
• ‘Climate Change’ occurs globally for centuries
• CC (unlike ‘Global Warming’) occurs globally,
showing changes in vegetation, sea level, glacier
geology and ice cores
• CC is caused by solar radiation; changes in Earth’s
orbit due to eccentricity; tilt angle; precession;
mountain building (volcanoes); continental drift;
greenhouse gases, etc
• With CC, get more extreme temps and events
like tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes,
floods, droughts, etc

‘GLOBAL WARMING’ ?
Arctic Findings: Ice caps melt; glaciers shrink. Thus IPCC
suggests that humans may be responsible for warming via CO2.
But this Warming is NOT ‘global’ – used wrong name!
Antarctic Findings: (5m NASA photos & British Antarctic
Agency) suggest ‘Cooling’ since there is more ice and snow at
the South Pole than witnessed a decade ago.
• Hence: Although majority believes in ‘Global Warming’, us
Southerners cautiously question the shaky IPCC evidence
• BUT: All agree that forces of nature caused ‘Climate Change’
for centuries - with or without humans.
• To pollute the environment is always bad and guilty parties
need to mend their irresponsible, industrial habits.
• Our Population needs clean water, more food, energy, shelter,
and employment to combat crime and corruption, etc

RECENT CHANGES
GLOBALLY:
• Carbon emissions increased by 40% since 1990
• BUT a standstill in global temp. since 1997, altho’
CO2 rose from 370-390 ppm
• 60% of Ecosystems were degraded world-wide
• 25% of commercial fish-stock is overharvested
• 20% of people are undernourished
SOUTH AFRICA:
• Unemployment is growing (was 25,3% in 2010)
• Poverty: 23% earn

SOLUTIONS
•Harness Renewable Energy (solar, wind),
but it is not cheap. Thus:
•Reduce Energy use even before installing
R.E. & save Energy/Money/Water as bonus
•Cheapest solution: only use Energy if it is
really necessary (eg lights, aircon, etc).
•Use Energy effectively and promote Energy
Efficiency (water heating, refrigeration,
lighting, swimming pool pump, etc)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY – J.of the IEA,2013
Maria v.d. Hoeven, CEO of IEA and former Dutch Min.
of Economics: “What simple tool offers the entire world
an extended energy supply, increased energy security,
lower carbon emissions, cleaner air? Energy Efficiency.
It can also avoid infrastructure investment, cut energy
bills, improve health, increase competitiveness and
enhance consumer welfare. The challenge is getting
governments, industry and citizens to take these first
steps towards saving energy and money”.
Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for Energy:
“Energy Efficiency is the cheapest energy resource. It
reduces dependence on imports, costly infrastructure…”

Savings: ENERGY
Savings: WATER

Note: CFLs can save up to 80% of electricity !

RECOMMENDATIONS
In SA: >90% of Electricity comes from Coal and 7% is
Nuclear, giving Eskom’s current total of 42 000MW
• Need 74 000MW by 2050. Hence IRP 2010 targets for
2030: 9600MW additional nuclear and 3725MW RE.
REIPPP: 2 of 3 bidding processes announced:
• Cookhouse(138MW); Kathu(100MW);
Dorper(100MW); Letsatsi+Lesedi (75MW each);
Hopefield(67MW); Dassiesklip(27MW);
• 19 additional RE projects announced by end of April
(1043MW @R28bn). 1165MW remaining for Bid 3.
• Strike balance between cost and access (WEC, 2013)