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Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa
Includes bibliographical references.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Energy Research Centre
2014
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| _version_ | 1867613229041057792 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Magilindane, Funekile |
| author2 | Prasad, Gisela |
| author_browse | Magilindane, Funekile Prasad, Gisela |
| author_facet | Prasad, Gisela Magilindane, Funekile |
| author_sort | Magilindane, Funekile |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6930 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:47.627Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Energy Research Centre |
| publisherStr | Energy Research Centre |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6930 Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa Magilindane, Funekile Prasad, Gisela Energy and Development Studies Includes bibliographical references. Renewable energy is becoming a key policy issue in the energy sector in most countries in the world. Considering various energy options, renewable energies are seen to be ecologically sustainable and they contribute towards conservation of fossil fuels as well as the environment. The use of renewables on a more significant scale than at present is very likely to replace a further significant proportion of fossil fuel use, thereby reducing the associated environmental impacts. The renewable energy sources of importance to South Africa are solar, wind and hydro-energy and energy derived from biomass. The focus of the paper however, is on domestic PV -based Solar Home Systems (SHSs). This is mainly because the principal technology being considered for household electrification in the remote rural areas at present in South Africa remains SHSs. Previous studies, however, indicate that for a variety of reasons, large-scale SHS implementation has been very difficult to achieve in South Africa. For a number of years, extensive efforts have been made in the research and implementation of solar energy technology, and it was widely anticipated that the actual numbers of installations would have assumed very high figures by now. But this has not been the case. The largest obstacles to the wide dissemination of SHSs have been singled out, namely: the high capital investment often required tor installation (which makes it very difficult tor the rural households to afford the systems); and the expectations for grid electricity. The paper argues that although affordability and grid expectations, no doubt, constrain the wide dissemination of SHSs. other factors play an equally important role. It is argued that a plethora of interlocked and mutually inclusive factors constrain the widespread use of SHS. These include factors such as: negative perceptions amongst potential users - arising from lack of system maintenance and consequent system failure; and socio-cultural dynamics. These had not been given much attention in the literature on SHS applications and programmes. yet they have enormous impact on the daily use of energy. 2014-09-08T09:35:21Z 2014-09-08T09:35:21Z 2003 Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6930 eng application/pdf Energy Research Centre Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Energy and Development Studies Magilindane, Funekile Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa |
| title_full | Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa |
| title_short | Constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of South Africa |
| title_sort | constraints on the wide dissemination of photovoltaic solar home systems in the rural areas of south africa |
| topic | Energy and Development Studies |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6930 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT magilindanefunekile constraintsonthewidedisseminationofphotovoltaicsolarhomesystemsintheruralareasofsouthafrica |