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De Jongh, Derick, Dhirendra Ghoorah, and Anesu Makina. "South African renewable energy investment barriers: An investor perspective." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 25, no. 2 (2014): 15–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2014/v25i2a2665.
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As recently as the year 2010, renewable energy contributed less than 1% of all the energy sources in South Africa. Possible reasons include the lack of private sector investment in Renewable Energy technologies. By way of a structured interview methodology, this paper explores the reasons why private investors are reluctant to invest in renewables. The responses point to political, economic, social and technological barriers limiting private investment in renewable energy. Other barriers that were identified include poverty, low levels of education, limited technological readiness and access to the electricity grid. Some of these barriers are specific to the South African context. The paper concludes that a closer relationship between government and the private sector is required to stimulate innovation in the renewable energy sector.
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An, J., and A. Mikhaylov. "Russian energy projects in South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 31, no. 3 (2020): 58–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2020/v31i3a7809.
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From early 2019, South Africa and Russia have planned to increase their energy trade. Russia can become one of the world’s five largest energy exporters. This study examines of the cost of a kilowatt of electricity generated by coal power projects in South Africa and compares nuclear electricity with other types of green energy. This method must help to improve the management decision-making process in South Africa for energy exporta. Reasons for this persistence include the marketing strategies of Russian companies for seeking new markets in industrialised and postindustrial countries where, due to intensive competition, sales of Russian high-tech products are often unsuccessful. Renewable energy gives a chance to potentially reduce poverty in South Africa. The study concludes that imported crude oil is more suited to the needs of the refining industry of South Africa. The consumption for this type of energy in areas not concerning industry is insignificant and its increase is unlikely to be observed in the future.
 Highlights• Nuclear energy is popular energy source in South Africa now.• Provision of sustainable energy services helps to find the sources for economic growth. • Renewable energy technologies have opportunity for reduce nuclear production in South Africa.• Bio-energy can become the main source of energy in South Africa.
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Ajibade, Andrea A. "National strategies to promote renewable energy development: Whither Nigeria?" Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy (The) 10, no. 1 (2019): 73–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jsdlp.v10i1.5.
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Renewable energy (RE) development enhances electrification, mitigates climate change and aids energy efficiency. Kenya, South Africa and Ghana, among other states within sub-Saharan Africa, have established legal regimes to integrate renewable energy into their energy mix. Through defined legal strategies for RE deployment, these states have committed to the promotion, development and utilization of RE. Despite the momentum towards renewable energy development across the region, Nigeria’s efforts fall short of establishing effective legal strategies. As Africa’s most populous nation it must do more to make RE part of its energy mix in order to impact electrification rates, mitigate climate change and aid socio-economic conditions. This article appraises the legal strategies for RE development in Kenya, South Africa and Ghana. Against this appraisal, it critically evaluates Nigeria’s legal strategies to promote and develop RE. It recommends legal reforms that are necessary to better integrate RE into Nigeria’s energy mix. The methodological approach of this article is doctrinal and library-based. It includes primary and secondary sources. Primary sources include laws, statutes, legal documents, conventions and statistics. Secondary sources include journal articles, internet sources and newspaper articles. All sources are subject to content analysis. It is expected that the article will be useful to policy and lawmakers across various tiers of government in Nigeria.Keywords: Renewable Energy Development, Electrification, Energy Efficiency, National Strategies.
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Sparks, Debbie, Amos Madhlopa, Samantha Keen, et al. "Renewable energy choices and their water requirements in South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 25, no. 4 (2014): 80–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2014/v25i4a2241.
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South Africa is an arid country, where water supply is often obtained from a distant source. There is increasing pressure on the limited water resources due to economic and population growth, with a concomitant increase in the energy requirement for water production. This problem will be exacerbated by the onset of climate change. Recently, there have been concerns about negative impacts arising from the exploitation of energy resources. In particular, the burning of fossil fuels is significantly contributing to climate change through the emission of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. In addition, fossil fuels are being depleted, and contributing to decreased energy security. As a result of this, the international community has initiated various interventions, including the transformation of policy and regulatory instruments, to promote sustainable energy. With this in mind, South Africa is making policy and regulatory shifts in line with international developments. Renewable energy is being promoted as one way of achieving sustainable energy provision in the country. However, some issues require scrutiny in order to understand the water footprint of renewable energy production. Due to the large gap that exists between water supply and demand, trade-offs in water allocation amongst different users are critical. In this vein, the main objective of this study was to investigate and review renewable energy choices and water requirements in South Africa. Data were acquired through a combination of a desktop study and expert interviews. Water withdrawal and consumption levels at a given stage of energy production were investigated. Most of the data was collected from secondary sources. Results show that there is limited data on all aspects of water usage in the production chain of energy, accounting in part for the significant variations in the values of water intensity that are reported in the literature. It is vital to take into account all aspects of the energy life cycle to enable isolation of stages where significant amounts of water are used. It is found that conventional fuels (nuclear and fossil fuels) withdraw significant quantities of water over the life-cycle of energy production, especially for thermoelectric power plants operated with a wet-cooling system. The quality of water is also adversely affected in some stages of energy production from these fuels. On the other hand, solar photovoltaic and wind energy exhibit the lowest demand for water, and could perhaps be considered the most viable renewable options in terms of water withdrawal and consumption.
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Matizamhuka, Wallace. "The Impact of Magnetic Materials in Renewable Energy-Related Technologies in the 21st Century Industrial Revolution: The Case of South Africa." Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 2018 (November 1, 2018): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/3149412.
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Magnetic materials specifically permanent magnets are critical for the efficient performance of many renewable energy technologies. The increased reliance on renewable energy sources has accelerated research in energy-related technologies the world over. The use of rare-earth (RE) metals in permanent magnets continues to be a source of greater concern owing to the limited RE supply coupled with dwindling reserves on the globe. This review focuses on how this has impacted on the state-of-the-art magnetic materials that continue to play a pivotal role in driving renewable energy technologies. Magnetic materials are perceived as key in driving the 21st century industrial revolution, and the participation of South Africa in this energy paradigm is critical in driving a new industrial revolution within the African continent. A number of opportunities are highlighted, and clarity is given on the several ubiquitous misconceptions and the risks on the heavy reliance on a single source for RE magnetic materials.
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Murombo, Tumai. "Legal and policy barriers to renewable and sustainable energy sources in South Africa." Journal of World Energy Law & Business 9, no. 2 (2016): 142–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jwelb/jww001.
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Votteler, Roman Günter, and Alan Colin Brent. "A literature review on the potential of renewable electricity sources for mining operations in South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 27, no. 2 (2016): 1–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2016/v27i2a1337.
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The economic situation of mining corporations operating in South Africa has in recent years created considerable challenges in staying globally competitive. One reason for this is the increase in average electricity costs from 7% to 20% of total operational expenses since 2007. Forecasts for the next decade predict that this development will continue at similar rates. The reliability of Eskom has also decreased, with self-generation being increasingly considered. In addition, the South African government plans to launch a carbon tax in 2016, which will further add to the costs of current electricity sources. This paper investigates the potential of renewable electricity sources for mining operations in South Africa. It is based on an extensive literature analysis, which was conducted in the form of a conceptual review. The investigation of electricity usage patterns reveals that mining operations commonly have a relatively constant day and night consumption. One of the prerequisites for a suitable source is its ability to supply electricity constantly. Most renewable sources can therefore only be used in hybrid versions, owing to relatively high intermittencies, especially with electricity supply from solar photovoltaic and wind generation. Nevertheless, the levelised costs are substantially lower than diesel generators and are already similar to Eskom tariffs, whilst also lowering carbon emissions. The business case of self-generation is shown to be positive. An on-site project can be realised through a power purchase agreement or through own investments.
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Akom, K., T. Shongwe, and M. K. Joseph. "South Africa’s integrated energy planning framework, 2015–2050." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 32, no. 1 (2021): 68–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2021/v32i1a8517.
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The Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) was designed to consider South Africa’s energy needs from 2015 to 2050, as a guide for energy structural savings and the development of energy policy. The main aim of the Department of Energy is to ensure the security of energy supply. The current energy situation in the country has its gains and challenges. With the growing population and infrastructural development, the country requires prudent measures to meet the country’s energy needs for 2020–2050. The country’s energy is currently dominated by coal-fired plants, which represent about 70% of the total installed capacity, crude oil contributes about 21%, with only 9% from all other energy sources, including renewables. This paper examines the scope of the IEP framework, key objectives of the IEP, the methodology applied to achieve those objectives, and the projections made for attaining the framework target. The paper further reviews the energy requirements for the key sectors of the economy and analyses the effects of CO2 emissions and the benefits of job creation for the entire period. Despite substantial renewable potential in South Africa, at present it contributes as little as 2% of the energy mix. The global renewable energy policy on CO2 emissions reduction, improvement of energy efficiency and deployment of renewable development are not met in the IEP framework.
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Foster-Pedley, J., and H. Hertzog. "Financing strategies for growth in the renewable energy industry in South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 17, no. 4 (2006): 57–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2006/v17i4a3209.
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This study analyses empirical qualitative data collected from key stakeholders in the renewable energy industry in South Africa. As a step on the path towards developing better success in financing for renewable energy entrepreneurs, a financing framework is proposed and used to create a holistic view of the financing process in the renewable energy sector. It allows stakeholders to get an understanding of all the motives, barriers, sources of capital and possible destinations of capital in one system. Many good reasons exist for South Africa to invest in renewable energy with motives dominated by environmental concerns, diversity of supply, job creation and economic development. Internationally, investment in renewable energy projects has been growing despite a significant slump in overall global investment trends. In a decentralised business model, smaller renewable energy based businesses will continue to have difficulty in raising finance in South Africa. Key barriers include the high price of energy and equipment resulting in poor profitability, the reliability and quality of government policy, a lack of awareness and experience and a lack of innovative financing solutions. The study finds there are many expectations for government to address the needs of the industry within the context of its current regulated status. There appears to be a preference for demand side interventions, which rely on levies, subsidies and tax incentives. This paper strives to offer new ways of looking at the financing problems currently being experienced in the industry and proposes an innovative framework to assist the stakeholders in the industry in structuring financing for renewable energy ventures.
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Thopil, M. S., R. C. Bansal, L. Zhang, and G. Sharma. "A review of grid connected distributed generation using renewable energy sources in South Africa." Energy Strategy Reviews 21 (August 2018): 88–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2018.05.001.
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Balmer, M. "Energy poverty and cooking energy requirements: The forgotten issue in South African energy policy?" Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 18, no. 3 (2007): 4–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2007/v18i3a3380.
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Cooking energy is a necessary input for satisfying the basic human need of survival. Much has been written about poverty, energy, development, envi-ronment and gender, but unfortunately, recent poli-cies adopted by the South African government have completely failed to adequately address the issue. The focus of energy and most notably renewable energy policy has shifted form the previous approach of increasing access to energy sources for low-income households to addressing climate change issues. Pro-poor policies have suffered and important fuel such as wood fuel is not addressed. It is argued that without adequately addressing ther-mal requirements of low-income households, ener-gy poverty cannot be addressed. The aim of the paper is firstly, to contextualise cooking and cooking energy within a framework of household energy, poverty, multiple fuel use and gender issues and secondly, to provide an overview of the cost and externalities associated with household cooking. Lastly, the paper proposes interventions to address cooking energy in a sustainable manner in South Africa.
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Essiet, Ima O., and Yanxia Sun. "Maximizing Demand Response Aggregator Compensation through Optimal RES Utilization: Aggregation in Johannesburg, South Africa." Applied Sciences 10, no. 2 (2020): 594. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app10020594.
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This paper examines the role of demand response aggregators in minimizing the cost of electricity generation by distribution utilities in a day-ahead electricity market. In this paper, 2500 standard South African homes are considered as end users. Five clusters (and aggregators) are considered with 500 homes in each cluster. Two cases are analysed: (1) Utilization of renewable energy sources (RES) is implemented by the distribution supply operator (DSO), where it meets excess demand for end users during peak hours by purchasing electricity from the renewable sources of the energy market, and (2) Utilization of RES is implemented by end users alone, and it is assumed that every household has one plug-in electric vehicle (PEV). The aggregators then compete with each other for the most cost-effective energy usage profile; the aggregator with the least energy demand wins the bid. In both cases, energy pricing is estimated according to the day-ahead energy market. A typical day during winter in Johannesburg is considered for the simulation using a genetic algorithm (GA). Results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of demand response aggregators in maximizing the benefits on both sides of the electricity supply chain.
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Lombard, Andrea, and Sanette L. A. Ferreira. "The spatial distribution of renewable energy infrastructure in three particular provinces of South Africa." Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series 30, no. 30 (2015): 71–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/bog-2015-0036.
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Abstract Renewed interest is being shown in South Africa in the promotion of infrastructure for renewable energy (RE) to supplement the country’s current energy- generation capacity and to break loose from its dependency on an unsustainable fossil-fuel-based energy-provision system. The latter system not only has unfavourable consequences for the environment, but is managed by a state-owned institution which since 2008 has been incapable of providing reliable electricity. RE infrastructure - especially for the generation of solar and wind energy - is a relatively new feature in the South African landscape. This paper examines the spatial distribution of the newly commissioned infrastructures for wind and solar energy (operational and under construction) and the role they can play in the diversification of the rural economies of parts of the country’s Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces. First, literature on evolutionary economic geography, path dependence and new path creation is reviewed. Second, the role of a single energy provider - embedded in a monopolistic energy policy -in inhibiting the transition from a mainly fossil-fuel-based energy-provision system to a multi-source (multi-owner) provision system is discussed. Third, the reasoning behind the siting of the infrastructures for solar and wind energy in three particular provinces is explained. Fourth, the possible roles these new infrastructures can play in the diversification of the rural economies where they occur are advanced. The paper concludes that solar- and wind-energy projects have the ability to transform the South African energy context and that these projects present some positive socio-economic impacts for rural economies in the three particular provinces. The paper also recommends that future research efforts should be aimed at the evolution of this socio-economic transformation by taking into account the pre-development context of the areas under study.
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van der Merwe, Waldo, and Alan C. Brent. "Evaluating the Energy Potential of Solar PV Located on Mining Properties in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa." Sustainability 12, no. 14 (2020): 5857. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12145857.
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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.
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Lacey, Forrest G., Eloise A. Marais, Daven K. Henze, et al. "Improving present day and future estimates of anthropogenic sectoral emissions and the resulting air quality impacts in Africa." Faraday Discussions 200 (2017): 397–412. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c7fd00011a.
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The African continent is undergoing immense social and economic change, particularly regarding population growth and urbanization, where the urban population in Africa is anticipated to increase by a factor of 3 over the next 40 years. To understand the potential health impacts from this demographical shift and design efficient emission mitigation strategies, we used improved Africa-specific emissions that account for inefficient combustion sources for a number of sectors such as transportation, household energy generation, waste burning, and home heating and cooking. When these underrepresented emissions sources are combined with the current estimates of emissions in Africa, ambient particulate matter concentrations from present-day anthropogenic activity contribute to 13 210 annual premature deaths, with the largest contributions (38%) coming from residential emissions. By scaling both the population and the emissions for projected national-scale levels of growth, the predicted health impact grows to approximately 78 986 annual premature deaths by 2030 with 45% now resulting from emissions related to energy combustion. In order to mitigate this resulting increase in premature deaths, three scenarios have been developed which reduce sector-specific future emissions based on prior targets for technological improvements and emission controls in transportation, energy production and residential activities. These targeted potential mitigation strategies can avoid up to 37% of the estimated annual premature deaths by 2030 with the largest opportunity being a reduction of 10 868 annual deaths from switching half of the energy generation in South Africa to renewable technologies.
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Chikava, Winnie, and Harold J. Annegarn. "Human and physical energy cycles in a subsistence village in South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 24, no. 2 (2013): 67–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2013/v24i2a3132.
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A rural, self-contained village in Africa relies mainly on draft animals, energy provided by humans and energy from natural resources, especially firewood, for survival. The human metabolic energy cycle in a rural self-sufficient village in Venda in the Limpopo Province of South Africa is investigated, concentrating on selected activities that make up the routine livelihoods in the wet season. The selected village depended on only a slight extent on external ‘modern’ energy inputs such as electricity, paraffin and diesel in relation to overall energy consumption. Forty-three interviews were conducted in order to identify patterns of labour, sources of food, and foods consumed, while electronic pedometers were employed to quantify energy expended for weeding, firewood and water collection carried out in the wet season in February. A conceptual energy model showing flows of energy from one activity to another within the village was developed. An energy balance model, for an average adult male and female village resident, was developed quantitatively from the conceptual model, taking into account energy intake and energy expenditure. Energy expenditure for males was 1 991 kcal/d; females were 1 965 kcal/d, energy intake for males was 1 953 kcal/d and females was 2 007 kcal/d .This study is significant for future development of rural dwellers. It provides a baseline case for future developments in which modern energy carriers are introduced into remote areas. These may include conventional energy such as electricity, or renewable energies such as low energy devices powered off solar photovoltaic panels or off grid solar/wind systems.
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Niebuhr, Chantel, Marco van Dijk, and Jay Bhagwan. "Technical and Practical Valuation of Hydrokinetic Turbine Integration into Existing Canal Infrastructure in South Africa: A Case Study." Proceedings 2, no. 11 (2018): 595. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2110595.
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Small-scale hydrokinetic (HK) energy systems is a renewable energy source which has never before been explored in South Africa, mainly due to the abundance of low-cost coal-powered electricity. A HK pilot project was implemented in an applicable section on the Boegoeberg irrigation canal in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and tested for optimum functionality and correct application. This paper describes the HK system development and evaluates the technical viability and resilience of the system. Furthermore, the sustainability of such an installation into existing infrastructure in a developing country is analyzed.
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Sipio, Galgaro, Carli, Greggio, Mantovan, and Sukha. "How Different Natural Energy Sources Affect the Shallow Geothermal Suitability in Urban Areas: The South Africa Case Study." Proceedings 30, no. 1 (2019): 22. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2019030022.
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In recent years, the overall worldwide demand for energy has been increasing due to the constant growth of both global population and industrialization, which is particularly intensifying in emerging countries (China, India, South Africa, Brazil) and recently industrialized ones (i.e., Mexico, Turkey). In this framework, the exploitation of shallow geothermal energy through heat geo-exchange systems, as borehole heat exchangers (closed loop systems) or groundwater systems (open loop systems) coupled with a heat pump (Ground Source Heat Pump—GSHP), is really appealing, due to its versatility and energy efficiency. The heat exchanged with the underground, a reliable and green thermal energy source, is used mainly for heating and cooling of residential, industrial or commercial buildings and greenhouses. Several technologies are available and combinations with other local renewable energy sources are also possible, representing very interesting efficient and environmentally friendly solutions to be adopted in urban areas. The integration of different natural energy sources brings significant advantages, such as the reduction of CO2 emissions, the mitigation of the subsurface urban heat island effect, the minimization of electricity consumption. However, the underground suitability to low enthalpy geothermal systems is strictly related to the climatic, geological, hydrogeological, geothermal and thermophysical properties, typical of the area under investigation. The evaluation of these parameters allows to assess the amount of heat at disposal and the possibility to exchange it. On one hand, it is necessary to select and collect the data related to the factors that better characterize the ground behavior from the point of view of the heat exchange capacity. On the other, it is essential to integrate them in thematic maps created by Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, providing a preliminary evaluation of the territory suitability to geo-exchange and supporting the land use geothermal management both for closed and open loop systems. A preliminary representation of low-enthalpy geothermal resources suitability maps for Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, the three main urbanized cities of South Africa, representing the geological and climatic national variability of the country, is here presented. From a methodological point of view, these maps are created by assigning to each value of the descriptive parameters selected (i.e., lithology, type of aquifer, thermal conductivity, average annual air and ground temperature) a corresponding quantitative value, assessing its different attitude for thermal purposes. In this way, one of the first contribution to the suitability of geothermal energy resources in South Africa is obtained.
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Mabaso, Thembeka, James Lamont Topkin, Isaac Tebogo Rampedi, and Lee-Ann Sade Modley. "The Potential of Generating Electrical Energy from Digester Carbon Waste Sources at Erwat Wastewater Treatment Facilities, South Africa." Journal of Solid Waste Technology and Management 46, no. 3 (2020): 148–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.5276/jswtm/2020.148.
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Biogas, a renewable energy source, is generated from biomass under anaerobic treatment. Anaerobic treatment of biomass occurs within a vessel – also known as a digester – that is fully sealed off from air and usually has naturally occurring bacteria to allow digestion and the production of biogas. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of generating electrical energy from digester carbon waste sources. A GIZ/WEC model was utilized together with other WWTPa-based parameters to calculate the potential electricity that could be generated daily in two plants (Vlakplaats and Waterval), and the size of combined heat and power (CHP) suitable for the WWTPs was also identified. In terms of gaseous composition, four components were found in the biogas with CH4 and CO2 being the main constituents, having concentrations between 30%-38% and 62%-70% for CO2 and CH4, respectively. The electricity generated was on average 3 861 kWeh/day for the Vlakplaats plant and 21 777 kWeh/day for Waterval. Overall, the generation of electricity through the use of biogas is achievable, primarily when the amount of biogas produced on a daily basis reaches or exceeds the estimated biogas usage. The results obtained from this analysis showed estimate efficacy and consistency in the amount of electricity that can be generated.
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Nyalunga, Gezekile, Vishana Naicker, and Maria Du Toit. "Developing skills for neutronic modelling of nuclear power reactors in South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 27, no. 4 (2016): 64. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2016/v27i4a1496.
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In recent years, due to economic and social infrastructure development and growth, South Africa has been facing growth in energy demand. Addressing this demand includes building more coal power stations, however with attention paid in designing them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A second response is to deploy more power sources using renewable and nuclear energy. The South African government has plans to add about 9.6 GW of nuclear energy to the electricity grid. Accepting that South Africa will seek an international vendor or vendors to supply nuclear plants, a certain degree of localisation of manufacture and operation should be planned. One localisation task that can be actively pursued is reactor analysis, including criticality, burnup, shielding and accident analysis of the reactor. Such development of expertise will support both economic and safety aspects of building and running a nuclear reactor. With this in mind, neutronic analysis of the VVER 1000 reactor was initiated. The government’s intention to build a new fleet of reactors means it is important that the VVER-1000 reactor be included in studies done by the reactor analysis group at the School of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at the North-West University. The analysis was performed using MCNP6 for the cold zero power state at the beginning of cycle with the specifications obtained from the open literature. The input file was generated using the in-house code NWURCS. To ensure accuracy and precision of the results produced by the MCNP6 code, convergence studies of the MCNP6 models were carried out. Once a satisfactory model was obtained, the critical reactor state was calculated by adjusting the boron concentration in the water. Furthermore, the control rod worth, reactivity coefficients and beff were also calculated and are reported in this paper.
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Saponara, Sergio, and Lucian Mihet-Popa. "Energy Storage Systems and Power Conversion Electronics for E-Transportation and Smart Grid." Energies 12, no. 4 (2019): 663. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en12040663.
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The special issue “Energy Storage Systems and Power Conversion Electronics for E-Transportation and Smart Grid” on MDPI Energies presents 20 accepted papers, with authors from North and South America, Asia, Europe and Africa, related to the emerging trends in energy storage and power conversion electronic circuits and systems, with a specific focus on transportation electrification and on the evolution of the electric grid to a smart grid. An extensive exploitation of renewable energy sources is foreseen for smart grid as well as a close integration with the energy storage and recharging systems of the electrified transportation era. Innovations at both algorithmic and hardware (i.e., power converters, electric drives, electronic control units (ECU), energy storage modules and charging stations) levels are proposed.
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Seyedhashemi, Hanieh, Benoît Hingray, Christophe Lavaysse, and Théo Chamarande. "The Impact of Low-Resource Periods on the Reliability of Wind Power Systems for Rural Electrification in Africa." Energies 14, no. 11 (2021): 2978. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en14112978.
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Decentralized electricity systems based on variable renewable energy (VRE) sources such as wind power can provide affordable, dependable, and modern energy in a manner consistent with the Paris Agreement. Such sources are, however, sensitive to extreme values of climatic factors—an issue that may jeopardize power system reliability. As a resource-rich region with a high proportion of rural population without access to electricity, Africa has been of wide interest in studies on VRE-based electricity generation. Nevertheless, there is still a major gap in our continent-scale understanding of the wind power potential and its variability at different time scales, as well as the influence of low-wind-resource periods in Africa. Using ERA5 hourly estimates of wind speed, the present study investigated the adequacy and temporal variability of local wind power potential across Africa over the 2000–2017 period. The results indicated that design requirements of wind power systems are, on average, fulfilled in regions in the North, South, and Horn of Africa at different time scales. However, low-resource periods were shown to have a significant impact on the reliability of wind power potential in the majority of the continent. Demand flexibility can reduce the severity of these periods and help to achieve design requirements.
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Amansure, Ric, and Chris Adendorff. "The success of multi-sector participation in the management of revenue for beneficiary communities of South African renewable energy companies – sub-model A." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 28, no. 1 (2017): 63. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2017/v28i1a1418.
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AbstractMulti-sector participation is one of three sub-models that resulted from the splitting of the original model that resulted from the data analysis as part of a thesis entitled ‘A theoretical for successful management of revenue for beneficiary communities of renewable energy companies in South Africa.’ The sub-model provides specific guidance for the multi-sector participation of enterprises, stakeholders, industry experts and community development practitioners in the renewable energy sector to create a pro-active, effective, and relevant decision-making process for achieving success in the management of revenue for beneficiary communities. To address the primary objective, a number of secondary objectives were formulated through the development of a conceptual model consisting of identified variables based on a comprehensive survey of the related literature. By constructing a path diagram between the independent variable and subsequent intervening and dependent variables, appropriate hypotheses were developed. Primary data sourced from an identified national and international population of community management practitioners were collected using an electronic measuring instrument. These data were analysed and tested empirically using structural equation modelling. The determinants that were identified through a review of the literature as elements of multi-sector participation that influences the success of revenue management for beneficiary communities for South African renewable energy companies included the use of outside advice, financial management, support services, and good governance. Keywords: renewable energy, green energy, beneficiary communities, community development, revenue management, socio-economic development, economic development, multi-sector participation
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Gough, Lotfi, Castro, Madhlopa, Khan, and Catalão. "Urban Wind Resource Assessment: A Case Study on Cape Town." Energies 12, no. 8 (2019): 1479. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en12081479.
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As the demand for renewable energy sources energy grows worldwide, small-scale urban wind energy (UWE) has drawn attention as having the potential to significantly contribute to urban electricity demand with environmental and socio-economic benefits. However, there is currently a lack of academic research surrounding realizable UWE potential, especially in the South African context. This study used high-resolution annual wind speed measurements from six locations spanning Cape Town to quantify and analyze the city’s UWE potential. Two-parameter Weibull distributions were constructed for each location, and the annual energy production (AEP) was calculated considering the power curves of four commonly used small-scale wind turbines (SWTs). The two Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) showed higher AEP and capacity factors than Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) ones. A diurnal analysis showed that, during summer, an SWT generates the majority of its electricity during the day, which resembles the typical South African electricity demand profile. However, during winter, the electricity is mainly generated in the early hours of the morning, which does not coincide with the typical load demand profile. Finally, the calculation of Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) showed that SWT generation is more expensive, given current electricity market conditions and SWT technology. The study provides a detailed, large-scale and complete assessment of UWE resources of Cape Town, South Africa, the first of its kind at the time of this work.
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Ramagoma, Justice, and Chris Adendorff. "Managing a transition to green energy sources: The perspectives of energy practitioners in the Southern African Development Community region." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 27, no. 4 (2016): 77. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2016/v27i4a1638.
Full textAbstract:
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region has low energy security, exacerbated by electricity power cuts and load-shedding in almost all its member states. Green energy has the potential to contribute to the shortfall in the supply of energy required on the grid network during daily (morning and evening) and seasonal (winter) peak periods. The Statistica 12 program was used to analyse and compare responses between identified groups in the SADC region’s Energy sector. Multivariate analysis of variance and analysis of variance were used to examine associations between variables within the identified categories of respondents, and conclusions were made about six hypotheses. The categories of respondents sampled included: people associated with fossil fuel and renewable energy; people with experience of 1-6 years and more than 6 years; researchers and industry practitioners; practitioners based in South Africa and in other SADC countries; and a category based on practitioners’ positions (junior managers, middle managers, and senior managers) in their respective organisations. The study found that energy practitioners generally support a transition to green energy sources and there is consensus that the uptake of green energy will be slow initially, driven by low costs of fossil-based sources, but the uptake will eventually grow exponentially to a point of driving industries in future. The study recommends that SADC countries prioritise mapping of green energy resources to facilitate the selection of suitable green energy options in order to meet local energy needs and environmental protection. Research and development of suitable green energy storage technologies to overcome intermittency of some green energy sources must be expedited in the region.
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López-Castrillón, William, Héctor H. Sepúlveda, and Cristian Mattar. "Off-Grid Hybrid Electrical Generation Systems in Remote Communities: Trends and Characteristics in Sustainability Solutions." Sustainability 13, no. 11 (2021): 5856. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13115856.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of this review is to present the characteristics and trends of hybrid renewable energy systems for remote off-grid communities. Traditionally, remote off-grid communities have used diesel oil-based systems to generate electricity. Increased technological options and lower costs have resulted in the adoption of hybrid renewable energy-based systems. The evaluated 168 studies from the period 2002–2019 considered energy developments in Asia, northern Europe, Africa and South America, with the great majority in the northern hemisphere (n = 152, 90.5%). Many of the studied systems were located in tropical (44.1%) and subtropical areas (31.0%). Our review shows that most of the studied approaches combined photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy and that diesel generators are the preferred backup system (61.3%), while batteries are the preferred method of energy storage (80.4%). Communities far from coasts have more options for renewable energy sources, such as biogas. Although half the studies were related to communities with access to marine-based renewable energy resources, their use was only referred to in fifteen studies. In terms of trends, the studies show a mature development of PV and wind-power technology for off-grid hybrid systems independent of the latitude, which is preferred as they are proven and accessible methods. The preferred storage method is batteries, and diesel is the preferred backup system given the low efficiency of PV and the intermittent character of wind power.
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Votteler, Roman, Johan Hough, and Chanel Venter. "An analysis of the solar service provider industry in the Western Cape, South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 25, no. 2 (2014): 70–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2014/v25i2a2672.
Full textAbstract:
Scientists agree that rising electricity usage of the rapidly growing human race to improve its standard of living is negatively affecting the environment. To create a sustainable environment for future generations, renewable and environmentally friendly resources have to be exchanged for the present finite resources. In South Africa, coal plants are responsible for more than 90% of electricity production. This means that action has to be taken now to start a process of change to sustainable electricity resources.This paper focuses on the South African solar industry. Due to the high sun radiation levels, solar technology is one of the renewable energy sources with the greatest potential. The industry is in its infancy, characterised by accelerated growth expectancy and fuelled by factors such as government subsidies, the fluctuations of fossil fuel prices and the increasing focus on economical long-term sustainability. The expected growth necessitates a focus on the market positioning of solar service providers in the Western Cape, with the aim of taking full advantage of the opportunities associated with this industry.The main objective is to determine the current structure of the solar service provider value chain and subsequently areas of improvement to increase growth, stakeholder satisfaction and sustainability. A literature review was conducted to address the research objective, relevant approaches and the broader electricity industry. Porter’s Value Chain approach was used as a foundation for the adaptation to the solar service provider value chain. Porter’s Five Forces model was also used as a secondary approach, which analysed the competitive environment of the solar service provider industry in the Western Cape. The methodology entailed a qualitative research approach in the form of semi-structured interviews. All respondents were general managers or owners of a solar service provider, who were interviewed face to face. The research focused on the entire population of solar service providers in the Western Cape. Seventy-seven different service providers were targeted, of which 18 were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using content and frequency analysis. To guarantee reliability, a pilot study was conducted to ensure that the respondents understood the questionnaire. The findings show that customer service is the foremost value driver for solar service providers. This entails the actual installation of the product as well as the people skills of the installation team. As most customers only have to be served once due to the long life span of the products, marketing also plays an obvious role in attracting new customers. The most important outcome of this paper is the determination and a better understanding of the solar service provider value chain in South Africa. The recommendations, especially with regard to marketing and service elements, could improve the performance of solar service providers. The consequence could be an increase in stakeholder satisfaction and an enhanced usage of solar energy in South Africa. Future research should focus on customers to reveal preferences and opportunities for marketing approaches.
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Winde, Frank. "Turning Water Pollution Sources Into Assets: Exploring Innovative Options Of Using Abandoned Mines For Generating And Storing Renewable Energy." GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY 13, no. 2 (2020): 6–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2020-03.
Full textAbstract:
Through moving large volumes of rock for decades or even centuries from geological underground to surface, industrial scale mining invariably alters the natural local and regional hydrological conditions. Consequences include irreversible changes of flow gradients and water quality in aquifers and streams effected through dewatering, ground subsidence, acid mine drainage, etc. During their lifetime mines spent significant resources and energy on maintaining an ever-increasing diversion from natural hydraulic equilibria through pumping rising volumes of ingress water from ever greater depths, especially if operating below water-rich formations (karst) or in humid climates. Associated pumping costs may even lead to premature mine closure. In cases where complete flooding of closed mines is not an option (e.g. to protect water resources or infrastructure) such costs remain well after mines closed for as long as flooding restrictions apply. In large and densely populated regions in South Africa or Germany, for example, where mining succeeded in triggering urbanisation and self-sustaining economic development it is (currently) assumed that pumping will be needed forever. Accordingly, postclosure water management is no longer only a long-term liability but indeed a perpetual burden placed on future generations that had little direct benefits from earlier mining. This paper focuses specifically on possible ways of reducing perpetual postclosure water management costs specifically of using abandoned mines for generating and storing renewable energy. It discusses successful examples already implemented, concepts investigated but not yet realised as well as technologies that received little, if any, attention to date. The latter range from using mines (included flooded ones) for the storage of electrical energy via different technologies, harvesting geothermal energy from mine water and voids to different ways of transforming chemical energy contained in mine water into electricity.
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Wlokas, Holle Linnea. "What contribution does the installation of solar water heaters make towards the alleviation of energy poverty in South Africa?" Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 22, no. 2 (2011): 27–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2011/v22i2a3212.
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The South African government has publicized plans to install one million solar water heaters in households throughout South Africa by the year 2014, with the goals of reducing strain on existing electricity resources, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, creating employment and alleviating poverty. This paper examines two existing solar water heater installation projects with the aim of investigating the social contribution of the installation of solar water heaters in low-income households in South Africa. The Sustainable Urban Livelihoods approach (SULA) was adjusted to provide an analytical framework for the development of suitable indicators of social change in the context of renewable energies and energy poverty. Increases in household capital and the reduction of household vulnerability to shocks, stressors and seasonal variability as the result of solar water heater installation were investigated in projects in low-income housing developments in the cities of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, South Africa.Data collected from paired household surveys (before and after installation) in over 600 households and qualitative information (Most Significant Change stories) show that the provision of a constant, cheap source of heated water contributed positively to the alleviation of energy poverty. Household capitals (categorised as Human, Social, Financial, Physical, Natural and Gender capital), including aspects such as health benefits and time and financial savings, were all positively effected by the installation of solar water heaters. In addition, improved energy security greatly reduced household vulnerability to shocks, stressors and seasonal variability. Comparison between the two projects revealed that the geographical setting (climatic conditions in particular), and the approach and strategies adopted by the implementers of the solar water heater installation project, greatly determine the extent to which benefits to the households are realised.
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Silin, Ivan, Devrim Gürsel, Dario Kremer, Klaus M. Hahn, and Hermann Wotruba. "Production of Vanadium Concentrate from a Small-Scale Lead Vanadate Deposit by Gravity Concentration: A Pilot Plant Study." Minerals 10, no. 11 (2020): 957. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/min10110957.
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The renewable energy revolution calls for high-performing materials and makes metallic compounds like lithium, cobalt, nickel and vanadium more and more critical. Innovations contribute to inventions and developments like vanadium redox flow batteries for large-scale energy storage systems with numerous technological advantages. Potential shortages of vanadium and its sources will contribute to turbulence in vanadium pricing. Nowadays, main sources and production sites of vanadium are located in Russia, China and South Africa. About 85% of vanadium applications are ferroalloys and high-performance alloys, which make production and price of vanadium dependent on the iron ore market. Partial covering of a potential vanadium demand may be achieved by an exploitation of lead vanadate ore deposits as alternative vanadium source. In the present work, the processing of a lead vanadate ore, mainly containing vanadinite and descloizite was investigated. Based on ore characterizations and preliminary beneficiation tests, a flowsheet was developed to design a small-scale processing plant, including comminution, dewatering and gravity separation. Preliminary laboratory tests and samples from the small-scale processing plant show promising results for the recovery of vanadium in a lead vanadate concentrate with a grade of 12 to 16% V2O5 and a recovery of 68 to 75%.
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Clark, S., J. L. Van Niekerk, J. Petrie, and S. Fakir. "South African shale gas economics: Analysis of the breakeven shale gas price required to develop the industry." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 32, no. 1 (2021): 83–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2021/v32i1a8938.
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Is Karoo shale gas an economically viable option for providing the gas needed for the South African power grid? Dispatchable power generation is essential for the implementation of a renewable based electric grid system. Natural gas-fuelled generation is proposed to meet this need, with the gas being sourced from the Karoo. However, no exploration has been conducted on this resource and it is not known if it can be produced economically. Based on information from shale developments in other parts of the world and using publicly available information, this analysis calculates the likely price that this gas would require to be economically viable. The likely steps in the process to get to commercial development would be a baseline survey period, a period of exploration and appraisal drilling, followed by a pilot development. The extensive exploration programme would take about four years and likely cost over USD 450 million. This would be followed by a pilot production programme costing approximately USD 180 million. Once commercial development is achieved, a price for the gas of USD 13.67 per GJ would be required. There are a number of factors, including well recovery, well costs, royalties and operating costs that could add to this price and make this gas development less attractive.
 Highlights
 
 South Africa has significant shale gas potential in the Karoo.
 Internationally, LNG delivered prices are currently below USD 10 per GJ.
 South Africa shale gas breakeven price would be over USD 13.7 per GJ.
 An extensive and expensive exploration programme is required prior to development.
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Gorbunova, N. A., and A. N. Zakharov. "Edible insects as a source of alternative protein. A review." Theory and practice of meat processing 6, no. 1 (2021): 23–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.21323/2414-438x-2021-6-1-23-32.
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The current state and research priorities in the field of using insects as foods and their components are examined. At present, entomophagy is practiced in Africa, South America and Asia. It is shown that the growing world population, which is increasingly limited in resources upon the rising demand for animal protein, has stimulated the interest to new food sources that can include insects as future alternative sources of animal protein. In the forming global model based on the growing share of renewable energy sources, entomophagy fits in as a renewable source of food energy. Over the last decade, the potential of edible insects as a new ingredient has been studied. It is noted that edible insects can be produced with less environmental impact compared to cattle. Insects have a huge potential at all life cycle stages as a source of nutritional and active substances and are a rich source of animal protein, contain essential amino acids, minerals (K, Na, Ca, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn and P), vitamins (В-group, А, D, Е, К and С) and unsaturated fatty acids. Assimilability of insect protein is 76–98%. Insect carbohydrates are represented mainly by chitin contained in a range from 2.7 mg to 49.8 mg/kg of fresh matter. There are data that different insect species can have immune stimulating, sugar reducing, antioxidant and anti-genotoxic activities, as well as the positive effect in cardiovascular and nervous disorders. In the western countries, different methods of insect processing were developed. The review summarizes advantages and risks of eating insects and legal practices of their consumption. Possible ways and strategies of stimulating edible insect consumption are analyzed taking into account that the majority of population in western countries reject the idea of eating insects. The review of performed studies notes the necessity to eliminate emotional and psychological barriers on the way of accepting edible insect consumption.
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Gudo, Adam Juma Abdallah, Jinsong Deng, Marye Belete, and Ghali Abdullahi Abubakar. "Estimation of Small Onshore Wind Power Development for Poverty Reduction in Jubek State, South Sudan, Africa." Sustainability 12, no. 4 (2020): 1483. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12041483.
Full textAbstract:
Energy security is one of the challenging issues hindering developmental progress in developing countries. Wind power as a renewable energy source can play a significant role in poverty reduction if adequate information is provided. In this study, multi-approach technics were applied for a better understanding of the wind energy potential in Jubek State, South Sudan. Geographic Information System (GIS), remote sensing, and mathematical equations were applied in identifying suitable locations, potential power per unit area, wind farm layout, design of appropriate turbine size, and utilization of wind energy in both agricultural and domestic sectors. Wind speed, land use land cover, and digital elevation maps of the study area were processed in ArcGIS, MATLAB (Weibull distribution), and Minitab software. The results show that 17,331.4 km2 (94.64%) of the study area is appropriate for wind power generation, with wind density of about 3.65 W/m2 and installation capacity about 19,757.79 MW, resulting in an annual energy production of about 7269.29 GWh. With the proposed wind turbine, one ton of various crops and animal products require 1–4 and 2–20 turbines, respectively. Therefore, the step-by-step procedures followed in this study will contribute to poverty reduction through improving agricultural productivity and food quality.
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Inglesi-Lotz, Roula, and James Blignaut. "Estimating the opportunity cost of water for the Kusile and Medupi coal-fired electricity power plants in South Africa." Journal of Energy in Southern Africa 23, no. 4 (2012): 76–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3051/2012/v23i4a3180.
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In South Africa, water is considered a limited source, not only because of the country’s arid nature, but also because of the relatively skew distribution of the resource and the fact that 98% of the resource is already allocated. Eskom, the South African electricity supplier, commenced with the construction of two new coal-fired power stations namely Kusile and Medupi. The question is: what is the opportunity cost of investing in these power stations from a water perspective? We do not argue here against the need for power plants and additional electricity generation capacity per se, but consider the opportunity cost of using this specific technology. We estimate the shadow price of water for different power generation technologies as an indicator of the opportunity cost of water. We apply a production function approach for a baseline case (coal-fired power generation using the Medupi and Kusile parameters), and four alternative technologies. The only alternative that performs worse than the baseline case is the traditional wet-cooling coal-fired power process. The baseline case, however, does show a high opportunity cost when compared to renewable alternatives (solar, wind and biomass) ranging from R0.66/kWh (biomass) to R0.83/kWh (solar) to R1.31/kWh (wind).
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Kroll, Florian, Elizabeth Catherina Swart, Reginald Adjetey Annan, et al. "Mapping Obesogenic Food Environments in South Africa and Ghana: Correlations and Contradictions." Sustainability 11, no. 14 (2019): 3924. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11143924.
Full textAbstract:
In sub-Saharan Africa, urbanisation and food systems change contribute to rapid dietary transitions promoting obesity. It is unclear to what extent these changes are mediated by neighbourhood food environments or other factors. This paper correlates neighbourhood food provision with household consumption and poverty in Khayelitsha, South Africa and Ahodwo, Ghana. Georeferenced survey data of food consumption and provision were classified by obesity risk and protection. Outlets were mapped, and density and distribution correlated with risk classes. In Khayelitsha, 71% of households exceeded dietary obesity risk thresholds while 16% consumed protective diets. Obesogenic profiles were less (26%) and protective more prevalent (23%) in Ahodwo despite greater income poverty in Khayelitsha. Here, income-deprived households consumed significantly (p < 0.005) less obesogenic and protective diets. Small informal food outlets dominated numerically but supermarkets were key household food sources in Khayelitsha. Although density of food provision in Ahodwo was higher (76/km2), Khayelitsha outlets (61/km2) provided greater access to obesogenic (57% Khayelitsha; 39% Ahodwo) and protective (43% Khayelitsha; 16% Ahodwo) foods. Consumption and provision profiles correlate more strongly in Ahodwo than Khayelitsha (rKhayelitsha = 0.624; rAhodwo = 0.862). Higher obesogenic food consumption in Khayelitsha suggests that risky food environments and poverty together promote obesogenic diets.
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Dalu, Mwazvita T. B., Ashley W. Gunter, Mulweli Makatu, Gregory M. Dowo, Farai Dondofema, and Tatenda Dalu. "Contribution of Natural Forest Products to Rural Livelihoods at Mavunde and Sambandou Villages, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa." Sustainability 13, no. 8 (2021): 4252. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13084252.
Full textAbstract:
With ~70% of the sub-Saharan population living in rural areas, more than 90% of rural African households depend on natural forest products. Although several studies in other parts of South Africa have looked into the use of natural forest products in poverty alleviation, little is known on the roles and relative contribution of natural forest products as daily and safety nets specifically within the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, South Africa. This study assessed the different roles played by natural forest products in households and the patterns of their relative contribution to households both as sources of income and direct consumption within differing household compositions as well as socio-economic factors. These included employment and income diversification role and the monetised value of natural resources in the rural livelihoods of households in Sambandou and Mavunde, Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study inter alia compared a wide use of natural resources by two villages and determined on which forest products they most relied for their economic welfare. Their relative contributions to livelihoods were assessed by identifying factors that affected their contributions. Findings of the study showed that Sambandou had a high number of people with formal jobs and females, and fewer old-age pensioners. Differences in employment and education between villages were observed. In all villages, the most frequently used or harvested resource was fuelwood, wild edible fruits, herbs, grass/shrub hand sweepers, insects for food, thatch grass/reeds and poles for fencing and housing. Overall, Mavunde village households were found to be more dependent on natural resource harvesting both for income and subsistence substitution. Findings suggest that this may have been a consequence of socio-economic factors such as income and employment, as well as general underdevelopment in the village. This study’s findings could contribute to further studies into how these results compare to other parts of the country and region, as well as their respective developmental implications.
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Okem, Andrew Emmanuel, and Alfred Oduor Odindo. "Indigenous Knowledge and Acceptability of Treated Effluent in Agriculture." Sustainability 12, no. 21 (2020): 9304. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12219304.
Full textAbstract:
The twin challenges of lack of access to improved sanitation and food insecurity remain critical, particularly in the global south. With cognizance of the nutrient potential of human excreta, there has been increasing interest in linking sanitation innovations with agriculture by using nutrients recovered from human excreta for crop production, thus, closing the nutrient loop. While studies and field trials have explored and validated the technical feasibility of reusing nutrients recovered from human excreta in agriculture, there is still limited knowledge of its social acceptability. This study examined whether indigenous knowledge can be leveraged to increase the acceptability of human-excreta-derived plant nutrient sources such as treated effluent in agriculture. A qualitative research design comprising seven focus group interviews (five in rural areas and two in peri-urban areas) was conducted in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Findings from the focus groups reveal a willingness to grow and consume food using treated effluent. Additionally, participants made references to indigenous practices that encourage recycling and reuse of human excreta. Given the potential to simultaneously address issues of food insecurity and sanitation that characterize many peri-urban and rural areas in South Africa, we recommend further studies in this area.
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Obileke, KeChrist, Sampson Mamphweli, Edson L. Meyer, Golden Makaka, and Nwabunwanne Nwokolo. "Development of a Mathematical Model and Validation for Methane Production Using Cow Dung as Substrate in the Underground Biogas Digester." Processes 9, no. 4 (2021): 643. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pr9040643.
Full textAbstract:
South Africa is highly dependent on conventional fuels from non-renewable energy sources such as coal and fossil fuels. The methane from biogas is a renewable energy source for generating electricity using a combined heat and power plant. Therefore, the aim of the study is to develop and validate a mathematical model for predicting methane production in an underground biogas digester. The developed model was able to predict the production of methane gas as separate entity differing from other models. A total of 286 datasets were used as a trained dataset for the model development, and 144 datasets served as test data for the validation of the model, making a total of 430 measured datasets of all the predictors. The determination coefficient (R2) and the p-value of the predicted and calculated methane yield were 0.962 and 0.920, respectively. The high R2 in the present study confirms a good correlation between the model and experimental value. Hence, the model is of significance because it is applicable in predicting the performance of methane production of systems of the same design used in different locations, thereby arriving at the same constant values. From the study, the ambient weather factors (ambient temperature, relative humidity, and global horizontal irradiance) affected the methane production. Additionally, the indoor parameters (pH, gas temperature, slurry bottom and slurry top temperature) impacted on the yield of the methane production because the scaling factors associated with these quantities are non-zero real numbers. Hence, the scope of the study did not consider the volume of the biogas digester as an input parameter to the response.
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Mabasa, Brighton, Meena D. Lysko, Henerica Tazvinga, Nosipho Zwane, and Sabata J. Moloi. "The Performance Assessment of Six Global Horizontal Irradiance Clear Sky Models in Six Climatological Regions in South Africa." Energies 14, no. 9 (2021): 2583. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en14092583.
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This study assesses the performance of six global horizontal irradiance (GHI) clear sky models, namely: Bird, Simple Solis, McClear, Ineichen–Perez, Haurwitz and Berger–Duffie. The assessment is performed by comparing 1-min model outputs to corresponding clear sky reference 1-min Baseline Surface Radiation Network quality controlled GHI data from 13 South African Weather Services radiometric stations. The data used in the study range from 2013 to 2019. The 13 reference stations are across the six macro climatological regions of South Africa. The aim of the study is to identify the overall best performing clear sky model for estimating minute GHI in South Africa. Clear sky days are detected using ERA5 reanalysis hourly data and the application of an additional 1-min automated detection algorithm. Metadata for the models’ inputs were sourced from station measurements, satellite platform observations, reanalysis and some were modelled. Statistical metrics relative Mean Bias Error (rMBE), relative Root Mean Square Error (rRMSE) and the coefficient of determination (R2) are used to categorize model performance. The results show that each of the models performed differently across the 13 stations and in different climatic regions. The Bird model was overall the best in all regions, with an rMBE of 1.87%, rRMSE of 4.11% and R2 of 0.998. The Bird model can therefore be used with quantitative confidence as a basis for solar energy applications when all the required model inputs are available.
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Adeleke, A. K., and J. L. Smit. "WEB-BASED DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR BUILDING-INTEGRATED SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS." ISPRS Annals of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences V-4-2020 (August 3, 2020): 109–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-v-4-2020-109-2020.
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Abstract. A web-based multi-criteria decision support tool is designed to support the planning, control and deployment of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. Solar energy is one of the renewable sources for generating electricity by means of photovoltaic systems, and it offers a viable and expedient means of generating electricity within a short period of time. Nevertheless, there are some impediments to the extensive deployment of solar photovoltaic systems. The most prominent among these are generation potential and the high capital cost of initial set-up. Hence, the location, design and yield of building-integrated photovoltaic systems have to be well thought-out before their deployment. The interactive web-based tool designed utilises JavaScript and Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) to implement a map mashup, which can be queried to retrieve vital information about the solar photovoltaic potential of a building roof. From results generated and the system developed, it becomes possible to remotely and sufficiently evaluate buildings in the city in order to make decisions about solar photovoltaic potentials, designs and installations.
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Clement Mulamba, Kabeya. "Relationship between education and households' electricity-saving behaviour in South Africa: A multilevel logistic analysis." ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, no. 2 (May 2021): 51–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.3280/efe2020-002003.
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This paper examines the relationship between the education level of household heads and households' energy-saving practices at the micro-level in South Africa. It uses the community survey of 2016 as data source. Multilevel logistic models are estimated to account for similari-ties between households in same municipalities. The results point to a significant and positive relationship between the education level of household heads and households' energy-saving practices. One can therefore infer that a household whose head is educated is more likely to have light bulbs, switch off lights in the house when not in use, and switch off appliances at the wall (not with remotes) when not in use than households whose heads have no education. Therefore, education offers a tool to incentivise households to save electricity, which will also contribute indirectly to the effort of addressing the challenges of climate change, amongst oth-ers.
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Popoola, Oluwabunmi Oluwaseun, Shehu Folaranmi Gbolahan Yusuf, and Nomakhaya Monde. "Information Sources and Constraints to Climate Change Adaptation amongst Smallholder Farmers in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa." Sustainability 12, no. 14 (2020): 5846. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12145846.
Full textAbstract:
With current global climate change conditions, the urgency to provide agricultural knowledge on adaptation has risen. The dearth of climate change information is one amongst many agricultural production challenges faced by the majority of rural farming communities. This study aimed to identify smallholder farmers’ sources of climate change information and constraints to their coping and adaptation. Descriptive statistical tools, mean scores and the ‘problem confrontation index’ (PCI) were used to assess and describe the study’s findings. Analysis revealed that public extension services play a minute role in rural farmers’ climate change knowledge; they get their information elsewhere. The most critical constraint to climate change coping and adaptation in the study area was lack of access to agricultural extension services.
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Perea-Moreno, Miguel-Angel, Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo, and Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno. "Peanut Shell for Energy: Properties and Its Potential to Respect the Environment." Sustainability 10, no. 9 (2018): 3254. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su10093254.
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The peanut (Arachys hypogaea) is a plant of the Fabaceae family (legumes), as are chickpeas, lentils, beans, and peas. It is originally from South America and is used mainly for culinary purposes, in confectionery products, or as a nut as well as for the production of biscuits, breads, sweets, cereals, and salads. Also, due to its high percentage of fat, peanuts are used for industrialized products such as oils, flours, inks, creams, lipsticks, etc. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistical yearbook in 2016, the production of peanuts was 43,982,066 t, produced in 27,660,802 hectares. Peanuts are grown mainly in Asia, with a global production rate of 65.3%, followed by Africa with 26.2%, the Americas with 8.4%, and Oceania with 0.1%. The peanut industry is one of the main generators of agroindustrial waste (shells). This residual biomass (25–30% of the total weight) has a high energy content that is worth exploring. The main objectives of this study are, firstly, to evaluate the energy parameters of peanut shells as a possible solid biofuel applied as an energy source in residential and industrial heating installations. Secondly, different models are analysed to estimate the higher heating value (HHV) for biomass proposed by different scientists and to determine which most accurately fits the determination of this value for peanut shells. Thirdly, we evaluate the reduction in global CO2 emissions that would result from the use of peanut shells as biofuel. The obtained HHV of peanut shells (18.547 MJ/kg) is higher than other biomass sources evaluated, such as olive stones (17.884 MJ/kg) or almond shells (18.200 MJ/kg), and similar to other sources of biomass used at present for home and industrial heating applications. Different prediction models of the HHV value proposed by scientists for different types of biomass have been analysed and the one that best fits the calculation for the peanut shell has been determined. The CO2 reduction that would result from the use of peanut shells as an energy source has been evaluated in all production countries, obtaining values above 0.5 ‰ of their total emissions.
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Govindasamy, Tamara Rosemary, and Naven Chetty. "Quantifying the global solar radiation received in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal to motivate the consumption of solar technologies." Open Physics 16, no. 1 (2018): 786–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/phys-2018-0098.
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Abstract In South Africa, power outages and scheduled load shedding are common practices in a bid to safeguard power resources. With the increase in cost of conventional energy sources, and the depletion of fossil fuels, attempts to use renewable resources to their full potential are underway. South Africa and in particular Pietermaritzburg receives sunshine throughout the year, making it suitable for harnessing solar power. In this work we estimate the amount of Global Solar Radiation (GSR) received in Pietermaritzburg which is the capital of the KwaZulu-Natal province. An air temperature model (Hargreaves-Samani) is used to approximate the GSR received in Bisley in comparison to measured data obtained from the ARC, for a period of one calendar year (July 2014 – June 2015). We proceed to apply the Angstrom-Prescott model to evaluate the competence of the initial prediction method. The primary aim of this study is to validate the efficiency and accuracy of the above-mentioned forecasting models, for areas within close proximity. Our results compare fairly well with the observed data provided by the ARC. Both models prove to sufficiently estimate the amount of GSR incident in Bisley. The deviations from the actual measured values suggest that a model which incorporates both variables may improve the accuracy of GSR estimations. The use of comprehensive prediction and forecasting models will allow for optimal placement of solar technologies for the harnessing of GSR within Pietermaritzburg. Though Pietermaritzburg may not be suitable for large scale solar power plants, the employment of solar panels in both industrial and residential areas will contribute greatly to a decrease in demand of grid electricity.
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Petit, P. J., and J. P. Meyer. "A techno-economic analytical comparison of the performance of air-source and horizontal-ground-source air-conditioners in South Africa." International Journal of Energy Research 21, no. 11 (1997): 1011–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1099-114x(199709)21:11<1011::aid-er307>3.0.co;2-l.
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Ndzimbomvu, Nosipho T., Isaac T. Rampedi, and Marthie E. Kemp. "Learning Environmental Issues from a Secondary School Curriculum: The Case of Learners in Mamelodi Township, South Africa." Sustainability 13, no. 16 (2021): 9149. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13169149.
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In South Africa, the National Curriculum Statement-Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (NCS-CAPS), which came into effect in 2011, was expected to play a critical role in raising environmental literacy among school learners. However, no detailed studies have evaluated its effectiveness in fulfilling this role, especially within schools in peri-urban areas. Consequently, this paper evaluated the level of environmental awareness, perceptions, and participation amongst secondary school learners in the peri-urban area of Mamelodi Township. Primary data for this evaluation research were collected from Grade 9 and Grade 11 secondary school learners by means of a close-ended questionnaire. The results revealed the important role played by school subjects such as Geography, Biology, and Life Orientation while other school subjects were less frequently acknowledged by the learners. The research also revealed the different sources of environmental learning, environmental awareness, as well as environmental problems that the learners were familiar with. However, in some instances, there were statistically significant differences between Grade 9 and Grade 11 learners, thus indicating differences in the learning content and the degree to which environmental education was taught in the different grades.
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Nkonki-Mandleni, Busisiwe, Abiodun Olusola Omotayo, David Ikponmwosa Ighodaro, and Samuel Babatunde Agbola. "Analysis of the Living Conditions at eZakheleni Informal Settlement of Durban: Implications for Community Revitalization in South Africa." Sustainability 13, no. 4 (2021): 2371. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13042371.
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This study investigated the living conditions of the eZakheleni informal settlement, Durban metropolis of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. The utilized data were collected with the use of a well-structured questionnaire through a multistage sampling of 255 households. The descriptive results indicated low levels of educational attainment, large number of female headed households, high unemployment rates, inadequate sources of income, poor security and low government intervention programmes. The results of inferential analysis indicate that factors such as water accessibility, toilet accessibility, years of working experience, food security status, educational status and access to good health were the significant factors that were key to improving the living conditions of the residents in the study area. The study therefore concluded that education, basic housing services (water accessibility, toilet accessibility), food security, working experience, social connectivity and health are key contributors to households’ living condition in the study area and recommended several future research and policy directions which could improve the living conditions of the informal settlement.
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de la Cruz-Lovera, Carmen, Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, Esther Salmerón-Manzano, José-Luis de la Cruz-Fernández, and Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno. "Date Seeds (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Valorization for Boilers in the Mediterranean Climate." Sustainability 11, no. 3 (2019): 711. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11030711.
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: Energy saving is a global priority, as it is helping both energy and environmental sustainability by reducing CO2 emissions. The search for new energy solutions is therefore necessary. In the Mediterranean climate, resources are generally scarce, and all energy sources need to be explored, including biomass from agricultural or industrial waste. There is a clear upward trend in date worldwide production, having doubled its world production in the last 10 years, and this trend is particularly relevant for Mediterranean climate countries, especially in North Africa and nearby countries. This study analyzes the properties associated with the date seed (Phoenix dactylifera L.) to evaluate its suitability and viability as a new biofuel. Specifically, the viability of replacing the existing gas boiler in a university building in the south of Spain with a system of biomass boilers using this biomass was analyzed as a case study. The results reveal that this biomass has HHV values very similar to those of other biomass sources, 19.121 MJ/kg. With the replacement of the gas boiler by a biomass that uses the date seed, a reduction of 95 tons of CO2 per year is obtained and an economic saving of more than 66% is achieved. In short, this work opens new perspectives for the use of this biomass of date seed in boilers and it is an efficient solution for large public buildings such as the buildings of Mediterranean climate universities.
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Mtunzi, Busiso, and Edson Meyer. "Benchmarking of the SW80 polycrystalline silicon modules using the sun as source of light." Thermal Science 18, suppl.2 (2014): 317–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/tsci110815088m.
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Benchmarking of modules is necessary as it helps to note any changes on the operation of the modules when in operation outdoors. The equipment needed to do this has been found to be very expensive hence the need of cheaper methods. This paper tries to show how this can be achieved using outdoor conditions and an I/V measuring instrument PVPM1000. SW80 photovoltaic modules were tested using outdoor conditions. The current and voltage measurements were taken at solar noon and converted to the standard test conditions (STC, 1000 Wm-2 AM 1.5 and 25?C). These normalized values were in turn taken as bench mark values of the modules. Future measurements can then be taken at solar noon and compared to benchmark values; any variations in performance can then be noted. The variations on benchmark values as compared to the manufacturer STC values for SW80 type module were noted. The measurements were carried out under typical South Africa meteorological conditions.
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Pfukwa, Trust, Olaniyi Fawole, Marena Manley, Pieter Gouws, Umezuruike Opara, and Cletos Mapiye. "Food Preservative Capabilities of Grape (Vitis vinifera) and Clementine Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) By-products Extracts in South Africa." Sustainability 11, no. 6 (2019): 1746. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11061746.
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The drive towards sustainable food systems coupled with increased consumer sophistication have prompted innovation in waste valorization. Grape and citrus processing by-products, abundant in the Mediterranean and tropical regions, respectively, are expanding and are sustainable sources of bioactive phytochemicals that can be used as natural preservatives for foods. Phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of extracts from grape pomace (GPE), seeds (GSE), and clementine mandarin peel and pulp (MPE) grown in South Africa were analyzed. Total phenols and carotenoids were highest in GPE followed by GSE and MPE (p ≤ 0.05). Flavonoids and anthocyanins were higher (p ≤ 0.05) in GPE and GSE compared to MPE. The GSE had the highest proanthocyanidins content followed by GPE and MPE (p ≤ 0.05). Ascorbic acid was only detected in MPE, which also had the highest titratable acidity and lowest pH values (p ≤ 0.05). The GSE had the highest antioxidant potency composite index followed by GPE and MPE (p ≤ 0.05). The order of antimicrobial activity of the extracts was MPE > GSE > GPE (p ≤ 0.05). Current findings show that GSE is a potential antioxidant while MPE holds promise as an antimicrobial for the food industry.