"After the Sahara and some parts of Australia, The Rainbow Nation has the most stable and reliable solar radiation output in the world and is blessed with ample space and plenty of solar hours," the statement says.
"We think South Africa's solar power potential is enormous. Apart from a superb radiation output, the country is developing at a relatively past pace, and has ample space," explains Edwin Koot, CEO of SolarPlaza. "We think that South Africa could generate all of its electricity from the sun, that is how big the resource is." Dick Berlijn, managing director of Pretoria-based solar electricity development firm Subsolar Energy, agrees: "The variability of South Africa's annual solar radiation is around 3%. That means that in a good day, solar radiation here is 100%, with 97% in bad years." In addition, the fact that some areas get in excess of 2500 sun-hours per year makes for a great source with a low variability. "These conditions are extraordinary," he says.
According to Koot, investing in solar energy can be very lucrative - as South Africa is beset with persistent energy shortage and a massive carbon footprint. "And let's not forget the declining prices of solar energy," he notes. "Over the past five years, solar energy prices have come down by 70%." It is impossible to estimate what will happen to the price of coal in the future. When coal price goes up, it will affect the price of electricity. "That is why investing in solar, especially in South Africa, makes a lot of sense," Koot said.
Read the full release on www.thesolarfuture.co.za.
