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Renewable energy<br />

Small-scale, local renewable energy generation is becoming increasingly financially and technically<br />

viable (SEA, 2015). The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme<br />

(REIPPPP) has accelerated the shift to photovoltaic (PV), wind, as well as landfill, wastewater and<br />

biogas-to-electricity projects. In 2014, municipal-led or supported local renewable energy development<br />

was at 67,647MWh/year from zero installations in 2005 (SEA, 2015). This is a significant effort that<br />

needs increased support from national government.<br />

PV projects: In 2012, Ekurhuleni installed 200 kWp of solar PV plant from 860 solar panels, with plans<br />

to scale up to 600kWp, while in 2014, Cape Town installed 167 kWp of rooftop PV panels, with 90<br />

kWp planned for installation by June 2016. eThekwini has developed a Solar City Framework to<br />

promote the local manufacturing of PV technology and its uptake in residential and commercial<br />

properties. The output of this framework is an online solar map that can be used to quantify solar<br />

potential before further investment. There are also plans to install 150 kWp on municipal buildings.<br />

Wind power: The wind farm in Darling, Cape Town, offers 5.2 MW of installed capacity, while in<br />

Nelson Mandela Bay, the 1.8 MW Coega wind farm is being developed and privately supported by a<br />

municipal Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and wheeling agreement.<br />

Landfill gas to electricity: The largest plant is in eThekwini, where the Bisasar Road produces 7 MW<br />

per year from landfill gas. Johannesburg is planning to generate 18.6 MW from its five landfill sites,<br />

while Ekurhuleni and Buffalo City continue to flare as feasibility studies are undertaken.<br />

Wastewater gas to electricity: Johannesburg’s Northern Water Works Treatment Plant has plans to<br />

ramp up production to 4.5 MW.<br />

Waste to electricity: Tshwane’s Bronkhorstspruit facility currently produces 3 MW with expected full<br />

capacity of 4.5 MW.<br />

Micro-hydro: Cape Town has 2 775 kW installed capacity at the Wemmershoek, Blackheath, Faure<br />

and Steenbras water treatment plant facilities (SEA, 2015).<br />

Energy efficiency<br />

At the national level, energy efficiency and fuel switching remain under-exploited despite their benefits<br />

for job creation, financial savings and enhanced energy security. Cities can lead the way and, in so<br />

doing, will not only save money, but also encourage the residential, commercial and industrial sectors<br />

to follow suit. Payback times are often reasonable and large savings can be achieved by retrofitting<br />

streetlights, traffic lights, water pumps and buildings with technologies that are more efficient.<br />

168 State of South African Cities Report 2016

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