Scoping the assessment of cobenefits of renewable energy in South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyse social and economic development impacts of renewable energy deployment in South Africa. Renewable energy technology is new in South Africa and presents opportunities for the country to spread the benefits beyond greenhouse gas emission reduction. The study aims to link the cobenefits of renewable energy deployment in South Africa with the achievement of the climate change commitments as outlined in the Paris Agreement and envisaged achievement of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While some benefits might be widely known and empirically proven, there are other benefits that requires to be quantified at country level, ensuring that assessment methodologies are adapted to specific country conditions. Scoping of the relevant cobenefits for South Africa involved the following steps (i) focus group meeting with relevant government department to identify a long list of cobenefits based on policy objectives; (ii) follow-up online survey to prioritise the most important and relevant cobenefits; (iii) research methods symposium to assess the research landscape on the topic of cobenefits and to identify existing methodologies for assessing shortlisted cobenefits and to identify gaps in the existing body of knowledge; (iv) Terms of reference for the individual in-depth studies on selected cobenefits. This process resulted in the selection of the following cobenefits topics: 1. Reduced electricity costs for residential prosumers and business through renewable energy self-consumption, 2. Employment opportunities through renewable electricity systems across different skill levels, 3. Economic prosperity in marginalised communities through a growing share of renewables, 4. Health benefits of growing share of renewables in the electricity sector, 5. Reliable power generation with wind and solar PV in times of water scarcity. The discourse on renewable energy has moved past whether the technology is viable or not, the biggest question now is understanding its contribution to addressing environmental challenges and socio-economic development.