| Current projects
[in process of being updated]
Universal energy access – is it
achievable in South Africa?
Client: Neville
Owen Neale Trust
Period:
January–December 2011
Project leader:
Catherine Fedorsky
South Africa’s goal of
‘universal electricity access’ by 2012 will be explored. The research
aims at better understanding where the programme currently stands
nation-wide, through an interactive process of interviews and
communication with various authorities and organizations. Further, the
research will address the importance of universal electricity access,
but more specifically the role of off-grid renewable energy to alleviate
poverty. A number of specific questions will be asked, how many
households currently have access to electricity in the country, whether
the universal goal can realistically be met in the next few years as
proposed, and what the gaps can be identified in the programme.
Regional Climate Change Programme – Value
added research for transboundary adaptation strategies
Client: OneWorld
Sustainable Development (for UK Department for International
Development)
Period:
February–March 2011
Project leader:
Stehanie Midgley (One World)
Researcher:
Catherine Fedorsky
This is a contributory
component of a larger research project being led by OneWorld Sustainable
Development. Its aim is to better understand the science towards
developing transboundary adaptation strategies in the following study
areas:
-
Mid-Zambezi: Strategic allocation of water for
hydropower and agriculture given climate change impacts on water
resources and needs
-
Southern Malawi: Boosting sustainable
agricultural production together with improved trade conditions and
market linkages
-
Southern Mozambique: Building resilience to
impacts of storms / cyclones, flooding and resulting health impacts
on people living in settlements (urban/peri-urban).
-
Okavango River Basin: Innovative finance for ecosystem services for
the benefit of all three states with focus on catchments (Angola)
and importance downstream (Namibia/Botswana)
Linkages to
energy as well as water, agriculture, health, deforestation, market
infrastructure, etc. will be investigated. Analysis of each locality,
with the themes given above, will be on the basis of the question: “What
will warming of 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0°C mean for this region? All sectors
will be integrated into a systematic view of what that region would look
like biophysically and socioeconomically by 2050 given various emissions
reductions and population development scenarios.
Supply
of clean energy services to the urban and peri-urban poor
(UPEA III)
Client:
Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD)
Period:
February–December 2011
Project leader:
Holle
Linnea Wlokas
The aim of
UPEA-III is to build upon and take forward the work done in UPEA-I and
II. This phase will focus on recommending policy measures/other measures
to operationalise solutions to improve energy access for the urban poor
in Imizamo Yethu where the UPEA-II research was carried out. The
specific objectives of UPEA-III are for the city/region where UPEA-II
study was carried out to analyse the specific supply-side barriers and
issues constraining electricity, kerosene and LPG supply by utilities to
slum populations. Subsequently, to summarize demand-side barriers to
energy access emerging from UPEA-II and recommend measures to
operationalise solutions to facilitate energy access for the urban poor.
The research draws information from the literature review and
collaboration and consultation with key stakeholders.
Part of Research Consortium of
Technology Deployment for Sustainable Development Project (Township
Caterers Project)
Client:
Chemical Engineering Department, University of Cape Town
Period:
October 2010–December 2011
Project team:
Holle Linnea Wlokas,
Anya Boyd
The Township Caterers
Project forms one leg of a broader research-based project titled
Technology Deployment for Sustainable Urban Development (TD4SUD) by the
Department of Chemical Engineering, UCT under the supervision of
Professor Harro von Blottnitz. TD4SUD involves research concerning the
health impacts of the treated wood, emissions on the Cape Flats,
technology deployment in an informal settlement context as well as other
related research. The ERC’s role in the project is to assist the UCT
student chapter of EWB with their work in the TD4SUD project and to
conduct research concerning the greenhouse gas emissions arising from
the cooking activities of the caterers.
Review
of Solar Home System Concession Program
Period: 2011
Project leader:
Holle
Linnea Wlokas
No further
details available as yet.
Past projects
[in process of being updated]
Energy
security and energy efficiency
Client:
GNESD
Duration:
March
2007- March 2008
Project
leader:
Eugene
Visagie
Study will
focus on the impact of especially energy insecurity on the household
sector
Urban
and peri-urban energy access
Client:GNESD
Duration:
Feb 2007 –
February 2008
Project
leader:
Eugene
Visagie
An
assessment of the household energy situation in the rapidly growing
urban and peri-urban areas of South Africa and to identify viable and
proven policy options that can assist in providing clean, affordable and
more sustainable energy services.
Gender
research in Africa: Rethinking energy access: Integrating ICTs and
gender for sustainable solutions
Client:IDRC
Duration:
Oct
2005-Feb 2008
Project
leader:
Jocelyn
Muller
The GRACE project aims to
explore the ways in which women in Africa use ICTs to empower
themselves, the external, structural barriers as well as the internal
factors which prevent them from using ICTs to their advantage, and the
strategies they employ to overcome these impediments. The project
comprises 15 sub-projects, reflecting 14 research sites in 12 countries
and one meta research sub project.
GRACE is a two-year
project that will also focus on capacity building. Researchers will be
given the opportunities to develop research capacity as well as capacity
to use ICTs effectively. The project has made provision for intensive
training and ongoing mentoring and support. It intends to integrate the
research and the ICT aspects into a holistic capacity building
experience for the participants. There are also longer term objectives:
-
A research network
will be formed that can do ongoing gender and ICT research in
Africa.
-
A research base will
be formed in various institutions throughout Africa that can
contribute to the debates around gender and ICT issues.
-
The knowledge which
will be generated will influence policy at local, national and
regional/global levels.
Alleviating
poverty through the provision of local energy services
Client:
European Commission, with co-finance from DST & DME
Duration:
June 2005
– December 2008
Project
leader:
Bill Cowan
The
overall goal of the Alleviation of Poverty through the Provision of
Local Energy Services (APPLES) project is to find a sustainable
mechanism for the effective delivery of improved local energy services
to poor communities in South Africa, thereby, offering a route towards
poverty alleviation and contributing to sustainable development. In its
tenth year of democracy, South Africa has a positive outlook after years
of economic and political turmoil that led to energy sector instability
and a need to find accessible and affordable energy supplies to
previously unserved communities. The APPLES project contributes to
meeting this need.
Key
barriers that prevent the target poor communities from taking advantage
of energy options and switching behaviour are lack of capacity, lack of
infrastructure, lack of integration of initiatives, a wrong energy focus
at existing facilities that does not meet the needs of poor communities,
and poverty itself. For these reasons, poor communities in South Africa
lack accessibility to affordable and acceptable energy sources, services
and appliances.
The principle objectives of the APPLES project are to
understand the energy needs and energy priorities within the target
communities, to determine and demonstrate the best practices for energy
service provision to meet the needs of these communities, and to
strengthen existing structures established by the South African
Government for energy provision, in particular the embryonic networks of
existing Integrated energy Centres (IeCs) that will
supply energy information, products
and services to the poor communities, especially those in rural
areas. In the longer term, job creation and income generation from
business development within these communities, based upon energy
efficient use and access to new secure energy supplies, will represent a
major contribution to poverty alleviation.
A wide range of key market actors have been identified
for the APPLES project, many of whom are part of the project consortium
or directly associated with the proposed activity. In addition to the
related national government departments, local authorities and existing
energy service companies in poor communities, international financiers
have made significant investment in this area.
To reach its
objectives, the APPLES project comprises three sections of activity:
identifying key energy problems experienced by poor communities,
identifying best practices for energy provision, and strengthening the
embryonic network of rural energy centres. These activities have been
synthesised into eight work packages. These are carefully
interconnected to allow co-coordinated leadership of activities that are
key to all aspects of the work, including management, capacity
development, monitoring and evaluation, and communication and
dissemination.
The assessment of energy priorities will yield a clear indication of
energy needs in the urban, peri-urban and rural areas addressed,
providing a basis for local people to make rational choices over
affordable, clean and safe energy supplies. Best practice experience to
meet the energy needs in the targeted poor communities will be
identified, adapted to local conditions and demonstrated. This may
include cost-efficient energy utilisation, the best means of energy
distribution and effective forms of organisational infrastructure to
support energy access, including the operation of energy centres. By
identifying existing centres with the capabilities to facilitate the
supply of modern energy services to the target communities, and building
this capacity through appropriate training and education, the APPLES
project will contribute to the establishment of the infrastructure that
is necessary to improve the accessibility of energy.
The expected results of the
APPLES project may be grouped according to the three principle areas of
activity – identifying energy priorities, demonstrating best practice
and strengthening existing centres to support the delivery of energy
services.
The assessment of energy
priorities will establish the typical energy consumption patterns in the
target poorer communities and provide a basis for local people to make
rational choices over affordable, clean and safe energy supplies. This
consultative process will raise the awareness of end users and lead to
more efficient energy use and reduced incidences of unsafe practice
leading to hazardous situations such as fires, fuel ingestion and
inhalation of particulates.
This phase of the project will
yield a clear indication of the energy needs in the urban, peri-urban
and rural areas addressed. Health and safety hazards will be
identified, and the causes of energy poverty determined (including
barriers to access such as affordability and limited choice). The
prevalence of energy-related problems will also be determined including
the lack of water supplies (due to the absence of pumps), poor
communications, inadequate healthcare facilities and reduced educative
activity.
On this basis, a key result of
the investigation will be the prioritisation of the energy needs, with a
focus on those where there is great potential for significant
improvement. These needs will be targeted for practical action to
deliver solutions from the implementation of best practice.
Best practice experience will be
determined from an international transfer of experience, including the
experience of project partners in other developing countries. Local
examples of best practice will also be assessed and compared with
potential international solutions that may be adapted for use under
local conditions. This may include the most cost-efficient energy
utilisation in the target areas, the most suitable means of energy
distribution, the most effective forms of organisational infrastructure
to support energy access, and the most appropriate means to strengthen
energy centres. Whilst it is expected that energy-related needs and
priorities of poor communities may be similar in urban, peri-urban and
rural settings, the solutions available may differ widely. A direct
result of the APPLES project will be to identify and demonstrate these
similarities and differences.
These examples of best practice
will be used to address the energy problems encountered through both
information campaigns to raise the awareness of stakeholders as to what
action may be taken, and through the practical implementation of best
practice solutions.
By identifying existing centres
with the capabilities to facilitate the supply of modern energy services
to the target communities, and building this capacity through
appropriate training and education, the APPLES project will contribute
to the establishment of the infrastructure that is necessary to improve
the accessibility of energy. Rural areas are in particular need of
strengthened delivery models with the establishment of sustainable rural
energy service centres – this will be a practical result of the project.
The current model for the
existing IeCs is based upon investments from oil companies and,
consequently, the IeCs are based upon the concept of a “rural petrol
station”. Since, to be economically viable, any petrol station must be
located where there is sufficient traffic, the existing IeCs are not
located in the rural areas.
The most significant direct
outcome that is expected to result from the APPLES project activity will
be the establishment of the basis of different designs of the IeC model
without the associated petrol station and based upon the local energy
needs. This model may focus on a rural context, but will draw from
similarities and differences established in urban and peri-urban
contexts. Demonstrating the model in at least two different rural
locations will test the potential for replicability. Regarding urban
IeCs, the APPLES project will not help to establish an urban energy
centre because urban IeCs are not part of the existing structure, but
rather will try to work with the municipal service departments
Create
acceptance for renewable and rational use of energy
Client:
European
Commision
Duration:
31 Nov –
31 Jan 2008
Project
leader:
Gisela
Prasad
The
project investigates cultural influences on renewable energy acceptance
and tools for the development of communication strategies to promote
acceptance among key actor groups. Ten European countries and South
Africa are represented in the research team.
Income
generation through productive uses of energy
in Africa
Client:
World Bank
Project
leader:
Gisela
Prasad
July 2007–
June 2008 The comparative study investigates SMEs and the impact of
energy and complementary services (such as business development training
and access to finance) on economic growth and poverty reduction in four
African countries (South Africa, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria).
Renewable
energies for Africa – potentials, markets and strategies
Client:
GTZ/Afrepren
Duration:
2008
Project
leader:
Gisela
Prasad
A study
on renewable energies in Southern Africa including relevant case studies
of initiatives that have been successfully implemented as well as those
that have not been successfully implemented to provide lessons for
future initiatives.
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