EN - Educational (Strategic Plan) - Flipbook - Page 47
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PROVIDING
POWER
TO SOUTH AFRICAN
COMMUNITIES
Novel research into using renewable energy in off-grid informal
settlements in South Africa has won Dr Jiska de Groot a Newton Prize.
The £500 000 award is shared between
De Groot and her international co-lead Dr
Federico Caprotti from the University of
Exeter in the United Kingdom (UK).
Titled ‘Urban transformation in South
Africa through co-designing energy services
provision pathways’, the project focuses on
providing clean, safe and reliable energy to
those who live in informal settlements.
Energy poverty is a major challenge in
South Africa. Many of the 1.25 million
households in informal settlements rely on
burning paraffin or wood to cook, and to
provide light and warmth at home. Not only
do these methods of energy production
create health and safety hazards, but they
also limit the economic and educational
opportunities of the people – most
commonly women and children – living in
these settlements.
To overcome these challenges, as well as
those posed by policy, legal and jurisdictional
barriers, the team developed a novel
approach to electricity supply in off-grid
areas. The solution involves using renewable
energy in combination with sustainable, payas-you-go business models.
In a video released by the Newton Fund,
De Groot said: “Our project is trying
to solve the global challenge of access
to affordable and clean energy for all.
Energy is an enabler of development. The
lack of energy doesn’t just create health
impacts, but also huge inequalities and
opportunities for people to develop.”
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