Is Distributed Power Generation the answer to the South Africa’s power crisis?

The increasing Stage2 load-shedding by #ESKOM in #SouthAfrica has been extensively covered in the news lately, with the organization receiving criticism for the same. The timing of this coincides with the publishing of a CSIR report which draws attention to South Africa’s power generation capacity that declined by almost 9% compared to 2010, leading to increased #LoadShedding.

The good news is that #RenewableEnergy‘s contribution to the country’s energy mix is more than 10% now, which could have been achieved earlier if previous bid window PPAs totalling 2.4GW capacity had been signed on time. Many energy experts believe that new generation capacity under the risk mitigation Independent Power Producer (IPP) program will not be operational before the end of 2022. It is considered to be an overly optimistic target, given the process and construction time required to build such large capacities.

However, the role of distributed #PowerGeneration capacity should not be overlooked here, as it can help bridge the current electricity gap swiftly since they take significantly less time to build. This is, however, subject to NERSA’s timely implementation of generation license exemption for over 1MW capacity, and a few other reforms that are essential for hastening the process.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Shubham Singh

Technical Lead

Shubham has over 10 years of international experience in solar power plant design & engineering. He has augmented the designs for 750+ MW of utility & commercial scale solar plants to achieve lowest LCOEs for projects including floating solar in South Africa and Asia. Proficient in using software like ETAP, PVsyst, Helioscope, DIALux, Sketchup, AUTOCAD, he utilizes his skills and experience to develop innovative designs to optimize solar power solutions at Cosmic.

With a B.Tech. in Electrical and Electronic, Shubham likes exploring new places and experiencing their culture and cuisine.

About Mansi Chugh

Design & Innovation Engineer

Mansi has over eight years of experience working in the USA, India, Canada, and New Zealand. She has enabled several blue-chip corporations to improve their bottom line and business processes through re-engineering and innovation.

At Cosmic, she evaluates new technologies, and leverages her design innovation and automation expertise to achieve the lowest LCOE, and improve the quality of solar plants and business processes.

Mansi, with Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Data Science, is an avid reader.

About Gary Fortuin

Project Developer & Design Engineer

Gary has over eight years of Design Engineering experience specializing in Solar PV Systems, Overhead Line and Substation Power Plants. He has worked on more than 36MW solar projects in South Africa.

Skilled in Solar PV design software, MicroStation, CAD software, Revit, Retic Master, Relux, and Python, Gary takes care of the value engineering on Solar PV designs, project development of large ground-mounted sites, and client liaison.

With a B.E. in Electrical and Electronic, Gary enjoys football and occasionally working on DIY projects.

About Taryn Lee Vos

Legal Counsel

Taryn has over 10 years of experience in Renewable Energy, Fund Raising, Mergers and Acquisitions, Administrative Law, Real Estate, and Litigation.

She has worked on South Africa’s Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Program; large-scale international tenders; project development in emerging markets; project financing; and project-related agreements. She has supported the execution of over 1.2GW solar projects in South Africa, and internationally.

She is a practicing attorney in South Africa, a member of the Cape Law Society, and holds a B.Com. LLB.

About Tishya Swami

Co-founder and Head of Operations

Tishya comes with over 13 years of experience in Solar Energy Project Development, Power Trading, Market Research, Operations Management, and Procurement. Previously, at First Solar, she managed their global module sales and operations planning. She developed a US$ 5 million power trading business from scratch, achieved over 1 GW modules sales and generated over US$ 250 million in revenues.

She uses her exceptional skills to cultivate and maintain long-lasting business relations with our clients and suppliers globally.

Tishya holds an M.Sc. in Energy, and has a keen interest in organising and managing events.

About Tumul Dwivedi

Founder, CEO & Head of Business Development

Tumul has over 15 years of experience in developing, financing, and investing in more than 800 MW solar power projects and raising over US$ 400 million in finance for various solar IPPs across Africa and Asia.

He achieved India’s lowest solar tariff of US$ 3.8 cents/kWh in 2017, subsequently replicating the success in South Africa and the Middle East. He is committed to creating unique business models to deliver the lowest LCOE and make solar power affordable for businesses.

With an MBA in Energy and Finance, Tumul has a keen interest in international politics, and enjoys traveling.