Masters Degrees (Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies)

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This collection contains dissertations sponsored by the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies.

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies) by Author "Du Toit, Hendrik Jacobus"

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    A value chain analysis of the solar water heater industry in the Western Cape : investigating opportunities for local economic development, poverty alleviation and energy conservation
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2010-12) Du Toit, Hendrik Jacobus; Van Breda, John; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Low-income households in the Western Cape primarily use small electrical kettles to heat water for bathing and cleaning. This energy usage pattern is problematic in that; • It is based on unsustainable energy sources that cause environmental degradation, • Electricity is becoming more expensive in South Africa which strains the limited income of poorer households and • The national utility, Eskom, is struggling to meet the demand for electricity. If energy-intensive development paths are followed these problems will escalate further. Solar water heating offers a synergic (Max-Neef 1991), if partial, solution for the situation. By decoupling hot water usage from increased electricity usage, solar water heaters (SWHs) can reduce electricity demand and thus environmental degradation. The large quantities of hot water (relative to electrical kettles) that they provide also fulfil a developmental service by improving quality of life and personal health. The manufacturing and installation of solar water heaters could serve as a further catalyst for development by providing opportunities for economic development. Unfortunately the high capital cost of SWHs remains a barrier to the rollout of the technology in lower income groups. The objective of this thesis is to contribute to the elimination of this barrier through providing insight into; the hot water requirements of low-income households, the potential electricity and carbon emission savings that solar water heaters present, and the cost drivers and job creation potential of the solar water heating value chain. The research hypothesis is that: Solar water heaters (SWHs) are a potential synergic satisfier to achieve sustainable development in low income communities by providing an improved energy service, reducing environmental degradation and creating employment opportunities. The high price of the technology makes intervention in the form of subsidies and/or regulation from the appropriate level(s) of government critical for the realisation of this potential. The methodology used to test the hypothesis is quantitative and qualitative in nature with data obtained through a survey of 90 low-income households in Stellenbosch, a behavioural study of two households wherein solar water heaters were installed and a value chain analysis of the SWH industry in the Western Cape. The key findings of the research include that, SWHs offer a real improvement in quality of life for low-income households and that they reduce electricity consumption relative to a level of development. The key barrier to cost reductions in the solar water heating industry is found to be the small size of the industry which leads to an inability to source material, especially copper, at competitive prices. It is proposed that government sponsored rollout programs could alleviate this barrier, leading to the development of a robust industry. Job creation potential is found to be relatively small but a suggested rollout programme for SWHs in the Western Cape shows that the benefits of the technology can be realised and several thousand jobs created in a fiscally prudent manner. The thesis is focuses on households from LSM categories 5-8 in the Western Cape Province. Stellenbosch Municipality is used as a specific case study area.