Community care: Let’s follow Malaysia’s FIT strategy leadership

Community care: Let’s follow Malaysia’s FIT strategy leadership

 By Jack Ward, MD of Powermode

While the world is steadily increasing its embrace of renewable/ sustainable energy sources, South Africa is lagging behind, hampered by a number of bureaucratic barriers, including Eskom’s refusal to allow the connection of low voltage embedded generators - such as rooftop solar PV systems - to the national grid, much less feed power back into the grid.

One of the enlightened countries which has realised the potential of solar PV energy to assist its communities is Malaysia. It now allows non-commercial rooftop solar PV power producers to feed excess energy into its national grid and be paid for it via a feed-in-tariff (FIT).

Currently this programme is targeted at public schools, places of worship and welfare homes.

With the ability to generate power from the roofs of their buildings, these institutions benefit not only from lower electricity bills but from passive incomes gained by selling excess power back to the local authorities. This supplements state grants, private donations and other forms of assistance.

This concession, which is limited by power quota to avoid exploitation, is essentially a gift in perpetuity, boosting the ability of many Malaysian institutions to sustain themselves.

It’s a simple process involving an initial grant of around R 150 000 from Malaysia’s Renewable Energy Fund to finance the solar PV installations. Thereafter its plain sailing. The institutions save money on electricity and gain a regular income to boot.

What would be the effect if South Arica’s authorities removed some of the officious hurdles they’ve erected and introduced such a plan to assist disadvantaged communities?

Surely many donors, sponsors and philanthropists would grab the opportunity to help the poor and needy and foot the bills for the initial installations - thus conveniently removing the onus on the sluggish state machinery to approve and supply grants?

Many impoverished rural schools, clinics, hospitals, orphanages, old-age homes and community centres stand ready to reap significant benefits from the installations, which would deliver welcome returns on investment for many years to come.

How about it Eskom? The excuses made by your inaccurately-named Grid Access Unit which include the “safety risk” posed by solar PV installations have worn thin. It’s time to step up.

Solar PV installations are operated safely on a global scale, with some countries – such as Malaysia – realising the benefits of a FIT for their communities.

Why not introduce, without any further delay, the standards and accreditation systems so sorely lacking for rooftop solar PV and other renewable energy options in SA?

Find us:

  

www.powermode.co.za