25 Degrees in Africa: Africa's Independent Energy Publication, Vol. 6, no 4, 2010; Power & Elecricity World Africa Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, March 2010; Investing in Renewable Energy Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2010; Renewable Energy Africa Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa, November 2010
Abstract
The crises in electricity as well as in liquid fuel supply and South Africa’s ever-growing pollution and emission problems can be addressed by switching to large-scale solar energy generation and by using plug-in electric vehicles in urban areas. Because of the precipitous rise in the cost of conventional generating plants and the fast declining cost of solar technology and its many other advantages, solar energy is close to becoming the generation technology of choice. South Africa and its neighbours could do well by embracing it on a large scale sooner rather than later to solve a number of energy-related problems. But there still are many obstacles in the way, not least of which are preconceived ideas, vested interests and lack of vision.
