The proposed Renewable Energy Plan of Action is a fundamental part of the Sustainable Energy Strategy. It commits the Western Cape Province to meet its 15% Renewable Energy target by 2014.

The Plan of Action provides the potential “renewable energy” supply options for the Western Cape. The various renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels and are discussed below.

Solar power is used synonymously with solar energy or more specifically to refer to the conversion of sunlight into electricity. This can be done either through the photovoltaic effect or by heating a transfer fluid to produce steam to run a generator. There are various options that could be used such as concentrated solar power, solar photovoltaic (PV), and solar water heaters. The potential of solar power in the Western Cape is quite good as there is a fairly high level of radiation per square metre.

Solar power energy generation is relatively expensive, however the impending price increase in coal-produced energy could make solar power an economically viable option. Presently it is appropriate for applications isolated from the grid, such as rural clinics or homesteads, and for special projects where users are prepared to pay a premium for solar power.

Solar water heaters are one of the most promising renewable resources in the short-term, and implementation of mass schemes is relatively simple provided supporting facilities, such as suitable financing and maintenance operations, are in place.

The solar power potential in the Western Cape can be summarised as follows:

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines.Wind resources in the Western Cape are substantial – amongst the best in the country. The average wind speed as measured across the province at 12m is 6m/s¹. The South African Wind Energy Programme’s initial assessments of key areas along the West Coast as well as the interior (Karoo) and the Southern Cape highlight the strong energy potential. Initial assessments show it will be possible to generate 2800MW of wind energy in the Western Cape taking into consideration certain development restrictions.

A summary of the wind energy potential in the province:

Biomass refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. There may be scope for electricity or heat generation from biomass waste from sawmills, or from pulp plants, in some specific locations within the province. Cost competitiveness and energy quantities are not known. There is some potential for using biomass in the Western Cape; however the amount of energy that would be available must be investigated further.

Investigations indicate that electricity generation from landfill methane gas sites is feasible, largely because of the carbon revenue available for methane emissions reduction. This opportunity is being exploited in the country’s biggest landfills, and could be available for smaller sites in the future. The Western Cape has at least six landfill gas sites with a fairly high potential for energy recovery.

The Biomass and Methane potential:

There are likely to be several sites where small-scale hydro is feasible – mainly in the mountains of the wetter regions of the province. Large seasonal variations in water flow can be a problem with this energy source. The generation potential of this resource is not known, although it is considered unlikely to be a significant contributor to the energy mix. Its application is expected to be mainly for sites remote from the grid.

The Hydropower potential is summarised as follows:

Wave energy development is still in its infancy but holds much promise and potential as a source of bulk renewable energy. Whilst the Western Cape is blessed with a long coastline and preliminary results show that the wave resource is substantial, no large-scale commercial projects are yet in place.

The potential of wave energy in the province can be summarised as follows:

Pumped storage is not a source on net generation, but rather a means of smoothing out load peaks. It is typically around 70% efficient – comparing input pumping energy to generated energy. Eskom has a large pumped-storage site in the province, at Palmiet, which it uses to regulate peaks on the national grid, and the City of Cape Town has a smaller site at the Steenbras Dam for its own use. Little attention is given to pumped storage as an option within the Province.