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Renewable Energy: What Can You Do?

As a consumer you have several opportunities to make an impact on improving the environment through the choice of a greener energy solution. If you’re a homeowner, you have the option of installing solar panels in your home. Solar panels not only reduce your energy costs, but help improve your standard of living with a safer, more eco-friendlier energy choice that doesn’t depend on resources that harm the environment. There are also alternatives for a greener way of life offered by your electric companies. Just Energy allows consumers to choose green energy options that help you reduce your footprint with energy offsets. Add JustGreen to your electricity or natural gas plan to lower your impact today! 

Solar

Solar is a clean source of energy which comes directly from the sun. Stars, in general, produce an unimaginable amount of energy via nuclear fusion— the process by which smaller atoms are fused together by heat and pressure to create heavier atoms—with a whole lot of energy emitted in the process. This energy then reaches us via solar radiation, which we can collect and convert it into usable electricity.

Solar panels are perhaps the most common form of solar energy harvesting. These are panels full of things called photovoltaic cells. When the light from the sun hits these cells they create an electrical current through the photoelectric effect. [1] The current is then passed through an inverter to turn it into an alternating current. From here it can be used to power your home or added to the national grid mix. Read our guide to solar energy.

 

Benefits

One of the benefits of solar energy is that sunlight is functionally endless. With the technology to harvest it, there is a limitless supply of solar energy, meaning it could render fossil fuels obsolete. Relying on solar energy rather than fossil fuels also helps us improve public health and environmental conditions. In the long term, solar energy could also eliminate energy costs, and in the short term, reduce your energy bills.

Solar is good for your wallet
  • For the period 2002 to 2019, electricity increased by a staggering 500% in South Africa.
  • Future annual increases could be in the region of between 15% to 20% compounding year on year.
  • Municipalities are starting to permit the “feed-in” of surplus electricity that you might generate thereby giving you a credit on your electricity account.
  • Loadshedding is set to TRIPLE in frequency and severity within three years (CSIR Report). The battery component of a hybrid system ensures your lifestyle is not affected by power outages.

 

Corporate Power Solutions

South Africa’s Power Supply Landscape

  • Due to the aging infrastructure of the municipalities’ power distribution network, the following is a reality:
    • The average increase in electricity to the end user over the past 5 years has been 15% per annum. Experts anticipate this to continue for at least the next 10 years.
    • The consistency of power supply to South African businesses is becoming ever more erratic, with blackouts and power outages anticipated to be commonplace moving forward.
  • Impending Carbon Tax legislation is in the process of being signed. The date of implementation is still to be confirmed.
  • Government is encouraging businesses, through incentives, to look for more efficient and renewable energy solutions.

Power Purchase Kilowatt Program – PPA

In response to an upswing in demand for the benefits of ever evolving Solar Technology due to grid instability and a global movement towards green energy, PPA – Power Solutions has come up with an innovative way to save you money on your electricity bill. We install, manage and upgrade the PV system on your building and you only pay for the energy you use with up to a 25% discount on your Eskom/ Municipal Rates.

Our Pay Per KW solution is cheaper, better and has a shorter contract term that guarantees your business will always have access to the latest green energy technology. The discount we offer is based on whether you choose a 6-to-15-year period. At the end of the period, on renewal of the agreement, we will fully revamp; upgrade and re-engineer your system. Our comprehensive offering includes servicing and maintaining the full PV Installation and no deposit is required on the system.

Government Tax Incentives:

  • 12L
    • “ Section 12Lof the income tax act – deduction in respect of energy efficiency savings – came into effect 1 November 2013 ”
  • 12B
    • “ Section 12B of the income tax act no. 58 of 1962, as amended (the “Act”), provides for a capital allowance for movable assets used in the production of renewable energy ”
  • Carbon Tax
    • “The proposed draft Bill provides for the introduction of carbon tax in a phased manner effective 1 January 2017. The carbon tax will be payable by persons conducting a qualifying activity the emits greenhouse gases (GHG) and will be levied at the headline rate of R120 per ton of CO2”
  • DTI Grants
    • “The department of trade and industry manages the critical infrastructure development grant”
  • Power factor analysis and correction
    • Energy efficiency analysis on
    • Lighting  (up to 80% savings)
    • Sensors  (up to 50% savings)
    • HVAC (heating, ventilation & Air conditioning )  (up to 40% savings)
    • Water heating systems  (up to 50% savings)
    • Gas conversion analysis
    • Guidance on company specific energy queries
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