Renewable Energy Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges for South Africa

Abstract:

One of Africa's biggest problems, which has an impact on its social and economic growth, is its lack of access to electricity. Due to its reliance on coal, South Africa (SA) has been acknowledged as one of the nations in Sub-Saharan Africa that has had difficulty developing its energy infrastructure. South Africa is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Africa due to its dependence on coal. The nation has been forced to switch to cleaner energy technologies like solar energy, wind energy, biomass energy, and hydropower. However, as South Africa made the move from an energy based on fossil fuels to renewable energy technology (RET), it encountered both obstacles and opportunities. The review will examined the difficulties that South Africa faces, including governmental regulations, budgetary restrictions, technological issues, lack of awareness, and cultural issues. Furthermore, some of the enormous prospects for RET that exist in the nation, including solar, wind, and biomass, was also discussed.

• Periodical: Engineering Headway (Volume 2)
• Pages: 21-28
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-rulYG5
• Online since: January 2024
• Authors: Patrick Ehi Imoisili, Tien Chien Jen*
• Keywords: Coal, Renewable Energy, South Africa, Technologies

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