Renewable energy can boost township economy
• Enabling infrastructure for socioeconomic integration is the foundation for doing business with rest of the world
As the Gauteng city region and SA continue to do more business with the continent and the rest of the world, enabling infrastructure for socioeconomic integration is the key foundation.
Discussions about regional integration and continental cooperation between cities, such as the Cape-to-Cairo 26Cities Project, have also brought in sharp focus the importance of infrastructure planning, development and integration.
As Africa’s leaders discuss the implementation of initiatives such as the Inga hydroelectric scheme, Gauteng’s contribution to national and regional development continues to gain ground. The most significant platform for this was the hosting of the Biennial Gauteng Infrastructure Investment conference, which brought together more than 1,000 delegates, including representatives of megacities such as Lagos.
The provision and implementation of renewable energy solutions has also become second nature and a necessary twin to the construction and built environment in SA. Energy generation and construction cut across various industries and are now being viewed as job drivers, although renewable energy is in its infancy on the continent.
However, the entry of independent power producers in the renewable energy space is already causing significant investment by the national government through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP) in which more than 52 contracts were initially signed. This has set the tone for other spheres of government.
The Gauteng government has committed to the optimisation of the potential of renewable energy in turning around the city region’s economic fortune. The implementation of renewable energy systems will improve the province’s social and economic livelihood. It will build new markets whose value chain is owned by the people.
The green economy will help create jobs and develop the skills that will enable communities to gain entry into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The province contributes more than 34% to GDP. This is a huge responsibility that also makes Gauteng a magnet of economic opportunity and trade for millions of people from the Southern African Development Community region and the rest of the world.
As it is an economic hub, socioeconomic infrastructure is at the centre of growth and development, with the construction and built environment being one of the key levers.
The potential for green infrastructure solutions to improve citizens’ quality of life has been recently demonstrated through the government’s programme of installing solar geysers on the rooftops of thousands of low-income households. The programme has created direct and indirect jobs such as the maintenance, repair and transport of the solar power infrastructure. These are jobs that otherwise would not have been attained through regular energy systems.
The abundance of sunlight, which powers most green infrastructure systems, also enables households to save a big part of the money they would have used to purchase regular energy sources. This helps communities to tackle their other pressing needs and improves their quality of life.
These green economy benefits explain why the Gauteng government is insisting on the local manufacturing, maintenance and transportation of photovoltaic solar panels for projects such as the piloting of resident solar energy plants at six Gauteng hospitals. The project, announced by Premier David Makhura earlier in 2017, will start at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
This programme will help contribute towards the reindustrialisation and radical transformation goals of the province.
The province is also implementing green technologies at schools, hospitals and clinics as part of the Green Agenda, aimed at helping save the environment and preserving scarce energy resources. The commitment to construct, complete and hand over one new school a month also includes a package of green technology features.
The province has therefore teamed up with institutions such as the Innovation Hub and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in the development and piloting of projects that are aimed at saving energy and water resources.
The Gauteng department of infrastructure development is piloting waste-water recycling infrastructure at four schools in the Sedibeng District Municipality and the conversion of biomass into useable gas at Motlotlo Primary School in Sebokeng. The strategic aim is to extend the projects to more schools in due course and thus contribute to job creation.
The department is also implementing a project to retrofit energy-saving lights in health institutions and government buildings. At the last count early in 2017, more than 200,000 energy-saving lights had been fitted as replacements to the high-energy consumption fluorescent lights.
The green infrastructure economy will also contribute to township economy revitalisation through the localisation of alternative energy systems.
The province believes that all interested parties have a crucial role to play in replacing historically underdeveloped communities’ dependence on primus stoves with appliances that are linked to green infrastructure.
THE PROGRAMME HAS CREATED JOBS SUCH AS THE MAINTENANCE OF SOLAR POWER INFRASTRUCTURE