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Improving household energy efficiency in the new South Africa

Panel: Panel 3: Market Transformation: Innovation, Development and Dissemination

Author:
Steve Thorne, Energy Efficiency and Environment Programme, Energy for Development Research Centre, University of Cape Town

Abstract

South Africa has begun a Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) which plans to deliver one million new houses and electrify a further 2.5 million. The RDP offers considerable opportunities to reduce affordability barriers to households and the state through improvements in energy efficiency, including the thermal performance of dwellings.

The technical arguments and the investment potential in energy efficiency as an affordability and social equity issue are currentIy being?xplored, and the pre-investment feasibility of household energy efficiency improvements at the time of access are being considered. This paper reviews the issues and considers the role which the North can play in assisting improvements in energy efficiency, with special reference to building human resource capacity and to technological leapfrogging.

If South Africa is to benefit from energy efficiency, the following issues need to be addressed now:

  • improving the thermal efficiency of low-cost housing at the time of their delivery;

  • increasing access to (and making more affordable) more energy-efficient appliances at the time of access to electricity; and

  • building capacity to identify and implement energy efficiency options. These issues should be at the core of a national energy efficiency and affordability campaign.

Paper

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