A partnership that could inject R300 billion into the local green-hydrogen economy over the next three to five years is rapidly taking shape between South Africa and Japan – and that is only part of the good news.

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Paint that cools down buildings and saves electricity sounds either too good to be true or like science fiction. It is, in fact, neither. The science has been proven, as has practical application and now a large-scale rollout is transforming military bases in one of the hottest provinces of South Africa.

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Problem Statement:

Eskom Energy Availability (EAF) factor is currently around 51%. By increasing the EAF to above 70%, loadshedding will stop immediately. This is considered a low hanging fruit. By focusing on the EAF does not mean all other plans, including adding new capacity must be stopped or slowed down. In fact, the other plans must be accelerated. However, if the objective is to stop loadshedding in 6 months, then improving the EAF is the quickest and least-cost option. The big question is how to achieve this improvement in EAF from about 51% to above 70% in six months?

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South Africa has experienced severe loadshedding (i.e. controlled/scheduled power cuts), almost daily, since September 2022. This recent spike and high frequency of loadshedding can be largely attributed to a significant drop in Energy Availability Factor of the coal fleet that has not been optimally maintained due to several factors

The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) extends a warm welcome to the appointment of Mr Dan Marokane as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Eskom Holdings. As an essential State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) falling under the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), SANEDI is eager to collaborate closely with Mr. Marokane and his team in assisting to address the challenges faced by Eskom.

December is often a time for big-ticket purchases, be they for gifts or because consumers have savings, a bonus or a thirteenth cheque to spend. If you are ready to invest in a large electrical household appliance, there’s a label to simplify your decision.

In a world that’s being battered by extreme weather occurrences due to climate change, it seems like heresy to claim that coal still has a place. The fact is that it does, but on condition we can clean up its act.

Energy. Electricity. Power. Regardless of the term they use, how to keep the lights on and the economy going is the question uppermost in many South Africans’ minds, from policy and decision makers to ordinary citizens.

Energy. Electricity. Power. Regardless of the term they use, how to keep the lights on and the economy going is the question uppermost in many South Africans’ minds, from policy and decision makers to ordinary citizens.

On 21 and 22 November this year, the South African National Development Energy Institute (SANEDI) will endeavour to answer questions and unpack issues around the country’s current energy crisis and its prospects for a more stable and sustainable energy future. The occasion is SANEDI’s First Energy Conference, under the theme, Inform and Increase Awareness on Energy Solutions – Showcasing Government Initiatives in the Energy Sector.

During October and November this year, more than 2 000 grade 8 to grade 11 learners from 17 schools in the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape became much better acquainted with renewable energy as a climate change mitigator, thanks to the EnergyDRIVE project.

South Africa’s large renewable energy facilities are in fairly remote and rural parts of the country. This means they are not constantly in the public eye, but also that they have the poten􀆟al to help make rural communities more aware of renewable energy and the issues that drive it.

Life in South Africa seems to be getting more expensive with every passing day. One thing that households can influence, fortunately, is their electricity bills. And no, you don’t need to start with solar panels or gas stoves. Simply changing your lighting will make a big difference...

In August this year South Africa’s first e-taxi was introduced to industry players and road users. The excitement around this development was palpable, but this is only the start of our journey to transforming the transport sector in accordance with South Africa’s Just Energy Transition and our commitment to meeting our obligation to contributing to a carbon-neutral world by 2050. Dr Neville Smith from SANEDI writes that success depends on collaboration...

In the urgency to shield your household from the worst of loadshedding, you could end up with an investment that doesn’t deliver the promised returns. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls when installing a PV system...

Food scraps are an unlikely ally in any battle – except in the one we cannot afford to lose. Two military bases in Limpopo are proving that the war to save the planet can be won one kitchen at a time...

Over the past 10 years, South African businesses have earned R22 billion in tax incentives while avoiding 27 megatons of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and reducing their energy costs. Business owners have two more years to get a tax break for doing their bit to keep climate change in check...

South Africa’s plan to raise $1 billion to kickstart the country’s hydrogen economy in partnership with Denmark and the Netherlands bodes well for a new energy future, says Dr Titus Mathe, CEO of the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI)...

Loadshedding’s intense impact on the economy is ever present, but for most South Africans food going off in their fridges, being unable to put a hot meal on the table and spending hours in the dark is far more of a reality. While solving the national electricity supply problems is out of our hands, there is much we can do to improve energy security in our homes, writes Dr Karen Surridge from the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI)...

The destruction wrought by Covid-19 has also opened up the opportunity to deliver economic recovery through energy that is green, clean, resilient and inclusive. With this in mind, South Africa’s energy and policy researchers are pondering how the country can transition to a sustainable smart energy system with waste-to-energy (WtE) as a resource, writes the CEO of the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), Dr Zwanani Titus Mathe....

The transition from fossil fuel to clean energy is about more than just technology. People and their behaviour, and government and its policies, are all at the heart of it, writes Professor Prathaban Moodley, General Manager of Applied Energy Research, Development and Innovation at the South African National Energy Development Institution (SANEDI)....

With industrial outputs declining and food production and security coming under threat, it could be easy to overlook the impact that loadshedding has on universities and other institutions of higher learning. However, to do that would be to deny the ramifications of power interruptions have on our country’s current, and especially future, ability to meet the needs of the labour market and advance innovation and the economy....

By Dr Karen Surridge, Project Manager Renewable Energy and Cleaner Fossil Fuels, SANEDI Hydrogen fuel cell technology was invented by Welsh scientist William Robert Grove in 1839 but had to wait until the 1960s for NASA to put it to commercial use to power its probes, satellites and space capsules. These days, much of the world is pinning its energy-transition hopes on green hydrogen as fuel source. Why is this important for South Africa? The reasons are many, varied and compelling....

South Africa’s reliance on fossil fuels is a given for now, but it is entirely possible to clean up our energy act while transitioning to a carbon-free future. The South African Cleaner Fossil Fuels Roadmap outlines the way.
Cleaner fossil fuels sound like a contradiction in terms, especially when one drives through the coalfields of Mpumalanga or behind a truck belching diesel fumes. The pollution layer hanging over Gauteng and the Vaal Triangle, especially in winter, is a further case in point....

Families and members at Airforce Base Makhado, Limpopo, are reaping the benefits of yet another energy efficiency project – this time, solar geysers designed to reduce the damage of limescale build up and the amount of electricity used to heat water in domestic housing. Piloted as one of the projects implemented through a five-year partnership between the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) and the military, this installation is part of ongoing research to ensure sustainable energy as well as quantify energy, cost and emissions savings through energy efficient and renewable energy interventions...

Accounting Officers and building owners in South Africa have only three weeks left to obtain and appropriately display Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) at the entrances of their buildings in compliance with Notice 700 of 2020 under the National Energy Act, 1998 (Act no 34 of 2008), or face penalties...

Green Hydrogen production is touted as an important future alternative fuel globally and according to Internal Renewable Energy Agency's World Energy Transitions Outlook, fully implemented, it could meet up to 12 percent of final energy consumption by 2050. It presents enormous economic opportunities for developing and emerging markets like South Africa where our bountiful supply of minerals and renewable energy resource puts us in a prime position to maximise the array of opportunities this fairly new sector offers....

The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), in conjunction with industry representatives within South African Smart Grids Initiative (SASGI) developed first national smart grid vision document. The vision document articulates the long-term aspirations and development objectives for the electricity supply industry in South Africa and the country goals towards achieving the benefits of a Smart Grid (SG)...

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has mandated the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) to implement the national Energy Efficiency Appliance Standards and Labelling (S&L) Programme. The Programme has been in place for large residential appliances...

The Board of Directors at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Zwanani Titus Mathe as the new Chief Executive Officer. Dr Mathe’s appointment will take effect on 1 October 2022...

As the sun sets on another Women’s Month in South Africa, we continue to celebrate the achievements of young and passionate women across historically male dominated sectors like energy – reminding everyone that what is good for the gander can be good for the goose...

Heat stress affects millions of children at schools, impacts their health and learning development. The reality of climate change is that children will become increasingly vulnerable and at risk to anthropogenic heating. This can result in severe dehydration, heat exhaustion, cramps and heat stroke. As a result, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is taking the cool back to the school...

The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is celebrating a decade of commitment to development, innovation, efficiency and sustainability in energy consumption. In light of this milestone, SANEDI has reflected on the ten unique ways that the organisation’s work has excelled at its mandate through multiple groundbreaking initiatives. SANEDI was founded ten years ago on 19 July...

It is often said that energy is the lifeblood of an economy, that it is a key enabler that supports the economic activities of the country; however, although very important, it remains a means to an end...

On the 25th of May 2022, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) together with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) hosted a workshop for Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) SANAS Accredited Inspection Bodies (IB) at CEF House...

The Solar Heat Worldwide report has been published annually since 2005 within the framework of the Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme (SHC TCP) of the International Energy Agency (IEA). ..

A hot water geyser guzzles as much as 40% of the amount of electricity used by the average household. Turn the geyser thermostat to around 60C, install a geyser blanket and ..

Two major research organisations are combining forces to identify the optimal thermal technologies companies can use …

Energy sector leader Lethabo Manamela has identified at least three issues she believes South Africans should tackle with greater urgency.

CLASP’s 2021 report titled “In-depth Assessment of Water Efficiency Opportunities in South Africa” found that standards for taps and showerheads could address the country’s linked water and energy crises by reducing the use of water and electricity needed to heat some of that water.

South Africa can significantly improve water and energy efficiency by aligning its tap labelling programme with international standards, according to a new study released ahead of National Water Week marked on 20 to 26 March 2022.

A Day of the year has been allocated to the power of the sun thanks to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). International Day of the Sun on 03 May is meant to recognise and promote the expansion of this abundant renewable energy resource.

The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) announces its new board appointed by the minister of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Gwede Mantashe, following the expiration of the previous board’s term.

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has sparked fears of a global energy supply crisis affecting electricity and fuel security. As the world’s third largest oil producer, uncertainty around oil supply from Russia has sent the oil price soaring.

The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) commissioned the University of Johannesburg’s Process, Energy and Environmental Technology Station (UJ PEETS) to take stock of the current status of micro-digesters and the wider state of the technology in South Africa and globally.