About 89% of South Africa’s electricity is produced by coal-fired power stations. Not only is coal power dirty and non-renewable, we don’t have nearly enough of it to fuel our growth. And it is about to get a lot more expensive. Which begs the question: what are the alternatives?

This morning I woke up, switched on the light and had a nice hot shower. I blow-dried my hair, boiled the kettle for tea, got fresh milk out of the fridge and dressed my children in the warmth from a wall heater. I didn’t think twice about any of it. Most of us never do.

The cost of coal

South Africa has enjoyed – until the turn of the century at least – cheap and plentiful electricity. But it comes at a huge cost: coal-fired power stations contribute approximately 89% of our electricity generation, with the energy sector accounting for about 80% of South Africa’s contribution to climate change. Coal, a non-renewable resource, produces particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide, as well as heavy metals when it is burnt, according to Earthlife Africa.

So not only is our electricity dirty and non-renewable, we don’t have nearly enough of it to fuel our growth. And it is about to get a lot more expensive.

It is no wonder then, that the South African government is throwing its weight behind the search for renewable sources of energy like wind, wave and solar power. What is being called ‘the green economy path’ will, according to President Zuma, \"prove that faster economic growth can be achieved alongside the sustainable management of our natural resources.\"

Farming the wind

With demand for electricity increasing at an average of 4% per year, the challenge is on to find alternative sources of energy that will produce electricity at lower cost. An exploration of the potential of harnessing wind energy for conversion into electricity in the Western Cape has had dramatic results.

Based on the high levels of success demonstrated in a pilot project in the Overberg area, developments are currently underway to put in place the infrastructure for large-scale wind farming on a scale as yet unheard of in South Africa. The project is inherently beneficial to the consumer in that local production of energy will reduce the unit cost of electricity as well as being kinder to the planet.

Green credits

Green electricity is already being generated at the Darling Wind Farm in the Western Cape, South Africa’s first commercial wind farm. Energy from this farm is supplied to the City of Cape Town and can be bought as Green Electricity Certificates by concerned businesses and consumers. Once or twice a year the City advertises the sale of Green Electricity Certificates, providing way for people to power their homes or businesses in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

Wave power

According to scientists, if less than 0.1% of the renewable energy within the oceans could be converted into electricity, it would satisfy the present world demand for energy more than five times over. The technology to generate electricity from waves involves two basic elements; a collector to capture the wave energy and a turbo generator to transform the wave power into electricity.

Eskom is currently looking into the potential of wave power along the east and west coastline of South Africa. We certainly have the pounding surf but a resource assessment must be completed before Eskom starts laboratory tests on different ocean energy conversion technologies.

Let the sun shine

The single biggest user of power in domestic homes is the geyser or water heater. Traditional geysers are like giant kettles, constantly on the boil day and night. This is where experts believe we can have the greatest impact by using renewable energy. The electrical geyser uses 30 - 50% of a household\'s monthly electricity bill so replacing a conventional geyser with a solar powered system reduces electricity consumption by up to 70%.

Sunshine is, after all, abundant in South Africa. And it\'s free.

So significant is the potential reduction in consumption, Eskom offers a subsidy between 15 to 30% for people to install solar water heaters in their homes. And while a solar water heater is expensive to install - the long-term savings on electricity bills is too big to ignore.

Until then, save

Until more alternative electricity generation schemes are up and running and generating the bulk of our power, we all need to make a concerted effort to save wherever we possibly can. We simply can’t afford not to.

Here are Eskom’s top tips for saving power:

• If you\'re not using it, switch it off
• A geyser eats up 39% of all household electricity. Switching it off saves money
• Insulating geysers and water pipes saves money
• Reducing the temperature at the geyser thermostat to 60ºC saves electricity
• Showers use less water than baths
• Energy and water saving shower heads use less water
• Use compact fluorescent lamps (CFL\\\\'s) instead of incandescent bulbs
• Do not leave TVs, DVD players and other appliances in stand-by mode
• Close fridge doors as quickly as possible when taking out items
• Keep room temperatures between 18ºC and 22ºC
• Wear warm clothes and hot water bottles instead of using heaters

> To get involved in the green electricity revolution connect with an environment and conservation cause on myggsa.