Solar Energy Takes Centre Stage In South Africa

High electricity prices and unreliable supply have resulted in a fresh surge of interest in renewable energy solutions on farms.

- Wessel Lemmer & Justin Schmidt

There is an ever-growing focus worldwide on renewable energy alternatives as technological advances on the one hand and increasing resistance to ‘dirty’ energy resources on the other push us towards the use of renewables.

Investment in renewable energy will grow exponentially over the next 12 months and beyond. Primary as well as secondary agriculture industries will be part of this, due to the enabling regulatory developments of the past 12 months, and the fact that irrigating crops and sustaining the cold chain rely on an uninterrupted power supply.

Independent power

The increase in energy costs and the reintroduction of load shedding in South Africa at the end of last year put sustainability and investment in energy production on top of the agendas of farmers and agribusinesses.

Already, there is strong and growing demand for solar power installations from farmers who use substantial energy for their operations during daylight hours. These include cellars, fruit packhouses, irrigation pumps and intensive livestock operations.

Several factors are driving the change to become less reliant on the national grid:

• Improved regulatory support for alternative sources;

• Increased electricity tariffs;