help us to help the govt to help all of us go solar

Submitted by turbosprout on Tue, 2010-09-07 11:17

join the solar water heating campaignjoin the solar water heating campaignThe sprouts want to go solar and we need your help. In fact we want to help you go solar too. What we really want is for you to help yourselves to go solar. Actually, we need your help to help the government to help us all to go solar!

Project 90x2030, Oxfam, 350.org, urban sprout and Activist! are calling on the government to spend R 60 billion wisely and commit this money to buying South Africa four million solar water heaters instead of spending it on more coal-fired power stations. Sign this online petition to urge the government to supply households with free solar water heating systems.

The country is already locked into the building of the Medupi power station at an estimated cost of R 125-billion and The Mail & Guardian reported in May the likely cost of the Kusile power plant will be R 175-billion.

This huge capital outlay is buying us a lot more coal pollution, increasing our carbon dioxide emissions, putting strain on our water resources, and ultimately contributing to climate change.

Instead R 60 billion could kickstart a green economy by creating thousands of new jobs, avoiding 240 million tons of carbon emissions over 20 years, saving homeowners on their electricity bills and sending a message to the world that we are serious about tackling climate change.

Relative to our size, South Africa contributes far more than most countries to climate change. But SA is also one of the world's sunniest countries. And we have a high unemployment rate.

All of these factors could be harnessed to make use of an incredible opportunity. Instead of building more coal-fired, climate changing power plants, South Africa should dramatically expand the number of domestic solar water heaters.

The government has already committed to increase the number of installed solar water heaters, and has insitituted limited subsidies to support homeowners who want to switch to or supplement with solar.

Let's give government a nudge to help them help ourselves. Sign the online petition and get SA on a cleaner footing.

According to Project90x2030 calculations, backed up by expert assessments, the South African government could buy four million free solar water heaters for R60 billion. Four million solar water heaters would displace 12,000,000 MW hours of electricity per year. Investment in clean energy can cut out the need for Kusile!

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5GW of electricity or 20GW of thermal energy with the same mone?

Submitted by David Lipschitz (not verified) on Thu, 2010-09-09 17:21.

Dear Urban Sprout

Thank you for supporting what I have been saying for the past two years.

More at http://knol.google.com/k/david-lipschitz/free-life-on-earth/213ev1gehazzh/1# and http://repairyourworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/nuclear-vs-renewables-debate-in-south.html

Regards
David

About the budget

Submitted by Mike (not verified) on Thu, 2010-09-23 21:20.

That blog reminded me of something. I was wandering about those matric finals and how they want them postponed to later on. I think that if the people of this country spent only one year in simply rebuilding their lives rather than spending things, as well with the government, then we will be able to give a huge boost to the economy. And I mean priorities in what we need. There are a lot of projects that can go to waste, like building new houses that are far away from work. I mean, weren't they trying to 'teach the child to fish' and not 'give him a fish'? These new places are basically just residences, and have basically only self-sustained systems, with no external support, and little land for food. They should rather build desalination plants inland to help bring moisture back into the Karoo. That way they get some income. Also if everyone bought homes by where they work...the oil costs would half. That kind of research budget isn't in the government's budget?

The budget

Submitted by Mike (not verified) on Thu, 2010-09-23 21:40.

You see the budget? The cost of R60 billion for 12'000'000 MW hours per year. That's easily around 12 Kilowatts every year for R60. Ten year money value. I'm not shunning the idea, it's huge, but I came up with an idea a few months ago. I saw in a book that a small hand-held turbine (powered by hand) was enough to supply electricity for at the lowest an 8 watt light bulb. So I did some research, and made my own design for a basic turbine, capable of that same at least. And calculated that 8 watts an hour for a year would make around 69 Kilowatts a year. Not much...until I tallied the cost estimates of the simplistic turbine and...Max of R75. That cost ratio would pay itself in three years at the least in both turbine cost, and the turbine capacity. It is a river-based turbine, layed at the bottom with cement for weight against floods. The effect of this is slowing of floods and all these numerous turbines work together against water damage. I mean many of them...enough. So with enough simplified turbines we could just replace all the coal powered stations and others, with a fish-safe turbine even.

Different research

Submitted by Mike (not verified) on Thu, 2010-09-23 22:39.

Oh coarse this whole idea is based on a completely different section of research. Takes a lot more than just designing water heaters-I tried making it as simplified as possible-because I'm not really an expert on magnetism and electricity, so I could be off, besides I'm allowed to be wrong, even if it's for the better. Plus the cost of manufacture is a little harder in training than putting together the solar water heater. There's large labor demands-which could be a positive to our labor shortages. I mean such an investment would be lucrative and would be able to pay workers well.