South Africa would seem like the perfect place for widespread uptake of solar energy.
The country is sunny, with high solar generation potential. Solar is a clean, reliable source of power that can help people reduce their dependence on polluting fuels like paraffin and diesel. Switching to solar also cuts electricity bills, which have more than doubled over the last 10 years.
Yet solar power makes up less than 10% of the country’s energy mix. About 74% of South Africa’s electricity still comes from burning coal. Most households use electricity provided by coal fired power stations. For poorer households, paraffin and wood are still the main sources of energy for lighting and cooking.
