It seems that in 2019, South Africa is facing an energy crisis due to the fact that the electrical grid in the country is pretty old and outdated.
The widespread blackouts across the country are generating every year loses of millions of dollars for the economy, and are also affecting the life of a very large number of people.
However, there is hope, because a new generation of entrepreneurs is trying to solve the energy crisis of the country by increasing South Africa’s generation capacity for renewable energy.
Besides the old and outdated grid, South Africa also has an energy supply issue, which means that renewable energy, especially solar power, would fill a gap in the country’s energy mix.
South Africa receives every year, more than 2,500 hours of sunshine (according to the weather bureau), which that the country has a huge untapped resource of solar energy available.
It is more than obvious that with such a tremendous potential to generate solar power, the country needs more solar power plants, which would also update the grid up to the level of the XXI century.
The new generation of entrepreneurs is aware of the real threat represented by climate change, and they know that air pollution on our planet is leading to global warming and a dangerous change of the weather conditions, so they have already built a solar power plant (the CPV 1 Power Plant located near the Touws River in the Western Cape).
This 36 MW Concentrated Photovoltaic power plant was built by Pele Green Energy, powers today a number of 36,000 households in Cape Town.
Pele Green Energy is also providing clean energy to a local school, and the young generation has now a chance to learn that renewable energy (solar power) can provide free and clean electricity in a much healthier way than burning coal or other fossil fuel to generate the same amount of power.
The solar energy provided by Pele Green Energy, cuts the school’s energy bill by half, and the kids playing in the school yard can see the panels installed on the roof, which means that in time, they will get used with them and will learn that those solar panels represent a source of unlimited, free and clean electricity.
The CPV 1 Power Plant is not the only one solar power plant powering South Africa’s grid with clean and renewable electricity, many other projects (solar farms) have been already commissioned and are now contributing to the energy mix of the country.
With so many hours of sunshine throughout the year, it is more than obvious that more companies will come to invest in solar energy in South Africa.
Residential solar is also increasing in the country, which helps to reduce the consumption of coal for energy generation, and improves the quality of the air in the country.
More solar and less coal is the answer to the energy crisis in South Africa.
The young generation needs to learn what solar energy is today and how can they benefit in the future by installing and using a solar PV system that can power their home and also their business with unlimited amounts of clean electricity.
