Solar (photovoltaic) systems, energy use and business activities in Maphephethe, KwaZulu‐Natal

Literature suggests that energy is both a prerequisite for and essential to development (both social and economic). In order to establish the ability of an alternative energy source —photovoltaic systems ‐ to meet daily requirements, an investigation into current energy usage, expenditure patterns and business applications was conducted. Maphephethe, an area north of Durban in KwaZulu‐Natal, was selected for a formal survey, with locally based, trained interviewers interviewing 200 households and businesses. The findings indicated that income levels were slightly above national (rural) norms but displayed a wide variability. Eleven energy sources were used, including candles for illumination, car batteries for television sets, dry batteries for radios and wood for cooking. Paraffin and gas were used for refrigeration. The general attitude towards solar home systems was favourable but the interviewees perceived grid electricity as being better. There did not appear to be any difference between those households that had solar home systems and those that did not. Expenditure saved on traditional energy sources matched that spent on solar syst‐ems. Business energy‐related potential was present but not developed

Notes

Respectively, Senior Lecturer and Research Assistant, Community Resources, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. The authors would like to thank the community of Maphephethe for their assistance and participation in this • study. In particular, they thank Mr Will Cawoods of Solar Engineering Services for the ongoing facilitation of arrangements within Maphephethe and Dr F Ahmed for statistical help. Fieldwork assistance was provided by Phiwokuhle Nkomo and Elizabeth‐Ann Scott. The authors gratefully acknowledge Mr Stafford Baines (Department of Applied Physics, University of Durban‐Westville) for financial support from the Norwegian University for Science and Technology (NUFU).