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WE have now reached the stage where we can no longer rely on a leaderless Eskom to provide a reliable supply of electricity and Knysna’s only option is to quickly become more self sufficient, says the Residents Association.
Our best bet is to install as much solar power as possible for not only is it the cheapest form of electricity available but the installations can take place in a matter of months.
In addition the economics of solar panels with battery back-up have improved so much that banks are eager to finance solar projects so there should be no cost for the municipality, particularly if it follows the example of France.
France has just introduced a law requiring all parking lots for 80 cars or more to be roofed with solar panels in the next five years. This will provide shade, shelter and electricity for the grid. Exemptions will be granted for sensitive historical sites.
The legislation will turn parking lots and shopping centres into small power stations. If this makes sense in France which has a huge fleet of nuclear power stations and the most reliable electricity supply in continental Europe, it will make even more sense here.
There are also huge opportunities for rooftop solar which can be installed in weeks. Schools, for instance, could make their large roof areas available and earn money at the same time. In addition, there are many commercial and industrial buildings which could make roof space available to generate their own electricity and supply the surplus to the grid.
In South Africa many shopping centres already have roof solar and it has proved to be viable. Wall Mart has covered many of its car parks with solar panels.
US Think-tank leader, Tony Seba, says the cost of solar power dropped by 72% between 2010 and 2020 and that costs will go down by another 72% by 2030. The fall in storage battery costs has been even more dramatic with an 87% decrease between 2010 and 2020 and a further expected 80% by 2030. And that won’t be the end of the matter, for new battery technology (mainly LFP) will further decrease costs.
What makes solar such a good investment is that the cost of generating electricity does not go up every year like Eskom tariffs. It stays the same because sunlight is free, maintenance costs are low and when solar is produced within a city, transmission costs do not even come into the picture. It’s a no brainer!