Browsing by Author "Van der Merwe, Waldo"

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    Calculating the energy potential of solar PV located on Northern Cape mining properties using R
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Van der Merwe, Waldo; Brent, Alan C.; De Kock, Imke; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South-Africa, as a sovereign member of various international treaties and agreements, is bound to agreed-upon objectives set to limit the proliferation of global climate change. The ramifications of these objectives have the potential to be particularly severe in a country where the social-, political- and economic structures have been intertwined in what has become known as the minerals-energy complex. Electricity generation, as a significant representative of the energy sector, is a key sector targeted for change by policymakers. Rightly so, as coal-based electricity generation constitutes the vast majority of all generation types and this has earned the country a precariously high position as a greenhouse gas emitter compared to other countries with similar levels of gross domestic product output. The policy arena, past and present, is analyzed in conjunction with other research results obtained by combining the same policy and technical aspects, with the aim of revealing a growth path for the renewable, and iii specifically solar photovoltaic, energy market. A Multi-criteria decision-making system is identified during the literature study as the most applied technique when used in conjunction with geospatial information systems. A customized version of such a system is applied to the relevant sourced datasets in order to quantify the solar potential on mining land which currently holds mineral rights within the borders of the Northern Cape province. In contrast with the literature study, these areas were pre-selected based on known technical and current policy requirements. The entire quantification process was completed with the use of R and publicly available data in order to promote repeatability and prove the use of R as a cost-effective alternative in geospatial analyses. The results of the quantitively performed analysis revealed that mining land in the Northern Cape province has enough solar photovoltaic potential to, at least, satisfy the entire country’s electricity consumption on an annual basis. To be able to extract this potential, recommendations are made to stakeholders with future policy amendments in mind. Currently, the model of own-consumption is still the easiest to access in the current policy climate, given profitability can be proven. However, given the restrictions in terms of timeframe imposed on mines, using rehabilitated mining land as a long-term solution is proposed as another alternative, given the envisaged policy scope can be utilized as envisaged.
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    Evaluating the energy potential of solar PV located on mining properties in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa
    (MDPI, 2020-07-21) Van der Merwe, Waldo; Brent, Alan C.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The lauded Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP) has achieved much in stimulating private sector investment in the renewable energy market in South Africa. Yet, 95% of electricity generated is still from a single source, the state-owned utility Eskom. This paper set out to explore the policy sphere governing electricity generation and identifying possible avenues that can contribute to a more vibrant solar energy market in the most solar abundant province of South Africa, the Northern Cape Province. Licensed mines were identified as low hanging fruit due to a large policy overlap and leeway within existing mining policy. A solar audit of these areas was performed, based on accepted multi-criteria decision analysis techniques, and found that a potential 369 TWh to 679 TWh per annum can be generated, exceeding South Africa’s current electricity usage.