Bibliography: leaves 168-173. / In this thesis the energy sector of the East and Southern Africa Region (as defined by the World Energy Council) is investigated. Special attention is given to South Africa and the potential future role she could play in the region. The region is characterized by large population growth rates, insufficient economic growth, political and civil instability, massive urbanization, high illiteracy rates, a low level of development, a lack of finance and foreign exchange, and inadequate institutional structures, all of which effect the energy sector making the provision of a sustainable and adequate supply of energy difficult. On the other hand, South Africa, the economic giant of the region, has a sophisticated and well established energy infrastructure and•has the potential to play a large role in the energy sector of the region. A large portion of the region's energy demand is supplied by traditional energy sources and is consumed by the domestic sector. In many countries of the region, energy demand exceeds sustainable supply, resulting in energy scarcities and increased deforestation. These issues need to be addressed as a priority. Reforestation based on agro- forestry, was identified as the option most likely to succeed in this regard. Although commercial energy resources are abundant within the region, they are largely unexploited as a result of the lack of suitably large markets, vast distances, a lack of finance and regional instability. The promotion of the utilization of these resources, which would ease supply constraints, is reliant on regional cooperation and the trade in energy. Forecasts of future energy consumption in the region indicate that unless present constraints on the energy sector are alleviated, the adequate supply of energy, and in particular traditional energy, will be jeopardized. It is proposed that any long-term cost-effective solution for the provision of an adequate and sustainable supply of energy requires regional political stability and cooperation, institutional reform, the integration of traditional and commercial energy structures, and should address the issues of deforestation and population growth.

Includes bibliography. / The objective of this study is to compile a micro-computer based tool to aid in the evaluation of power supply options for remote sites. The options considered are stand-alone photovoltaic, diesel generation, and grid extension power supplies. The basis on which the various options are compared is the unit cost of energy expected from the system. This is determined by combining all capital costs, running costs, and other payments on a present value basis over the project lifetime. The comparison of the unit energy cost expected from each option is only meaningful if the reliability of each supply system is known. The Loss of Energy Probability of each option is therefore established to provide a common ground on which to compare these costs. •

This study examines the impact of electricity shortages on the Large- and Medium-Scale Manufacturing Industry (LMSMI) in Ethiopia, using data obtained from a case study of 16 LMSMI firms that was undertaken in Addis Ababa from January 2004 to February 2004. In addition, the study examines the causes of these electricity shortages. Ethiopia's electricity supply relies very heavily on hydroelectric power, with geothermal, natural gas, solar, coal and diesel together providing only 1% of the total electricity supply. Significant power shortages occurred in the years 1995/96, 1997/98 and 1999/2000, with a particularly severe power shortage happening in 2002/03. The causes of these included a general increase in electriCity demand, without a corresponding increase in installed hydropower capacity, and a sustained period of drought. The case study findings showed that power outages were particularly costly in the LMSMI sector, through production and raw materials losses, damage to equipment, and the additional investment and operating costs of self-generation among those firms that purchased and used their own diesel generators as a backup source of electriCity. The case study results indicated that power outages caused firms without backup generators to lose approximately 15% to 30% of their potential production in 2002/03. Even in the other years when the power shortages were less severe, losses could reach up to 10%. By extrapolating the sampled firms' production losses to the total number of LMSMI firms in the country, it can be estimated that the country may have lost 10% to 15% of total yearly gross value of production that could have contributed from this sector and 1 % to 3% of total yearly government revenue. In the past, because of the low level of development in the Ethiopian LMSMI sector, the costs of power outages on this sector had not been as big, despite their high frequency. It is envisaged that, when the country's economy grows and the government's new policy (the Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization strategic plan) increases the economy's dependence on LMSMI production, then power outages would certainly have a much greater impact on the LMSMI sector as well as on the total economy of the country. In order to avoid this, therefore, some of the constraints which contributed to power shortages in the past (such as poor planning and governance, bad decision-making, and a lack of integrated planning), should be addressed. In addition, unplanned power outages, which, according to the firms interviewed, had an even greater impact than scheduled power outages, should be minimized. Hopefully, in the future, these measures will improve the performance and reliability of the electriCity supply in the country.

Bibliography: leaves 94-98. / In a post-apartheid South Africa, the electricity supply industry (ESI) will be under pressure to make up the backlog in electricity provision to poor households. Simultaneously, it will have to protect its financial viability in order to maintain a low-cost electricity supply to support a growing economy. This study analyses the current structure and governance of the ESI and proposes a significant restructuring to enable these challenges to be met. It is argued that the highly fragmented distribution sector of the ESI should be rationalised, and that the industry should remain in the public sector. Questions around the governance and regulation of the ESI are identified as critical to the future performance of the industry. By drawing on international experience, a distinction is made between the roles of politics and technical expertise in the governance of the ESL On the basis of this distinction, a new governance model is developed, which is based on a contract-plan mechanism, but which relies on the role of stakeholders and an independent regulator. In this way, this thesis attempts to establish in the governance system an appropriate balance between the equity concerns of a new democratic government, and the efficiency needs of a developing economy.

Bibliography: leaves 164-168 .

Bibliography: p. 92-95. / Electricity tariffs are generally high in African countries, but a significant share of it is due to inefficiencies in power generation and supply. This work looked at a case study of the Sierra Leone national utility's power generation and its impact on the tariff system. Sierra Leone is a relatively small country along the west coast of Africa. It is one of the least developed countries in the world, but its electricity tariffs are one of highest in Africa. This is largely due to its inefficient power generation. A significant energy input is wasted and there are high energy output losses in the system. About 10% of the energy input is lost because of poor housekeeping and operating practices. On the average 6% of the power generated is consumed by the plant auxiliaries and the station due to old and inefficient equipment. The technical and non-technical losses of the system are alarmingly high averaging about 38% in recent years. Normally, the level of electricity rates is based on revenue requirement, which depends on the operating cost. The average electricity price in Sierra Leone in 2002 was about US$ 0.18. This high tariff is due to cost associated with the above inefficiencies, which increases the operating costs and the type and age of the generating plants. Besides, on the average there is a net decline on the generation output while operating expenses continue to increase. Using the rate-of-return methodology the tariffs were found to be well below the existing utility tariffs if the fuel is imported from the OECD countries.

Bibliography: leaves 215-217. / This dissertation documents a research study on the comparative technical and economic performance of photovoltaic and diesel gensets as off-grid electrical power supply systems. The provision of reliable energy supply infrastructures has been identified as a key pre-requisite for social and economic development. The convenience and versatility of electricity have established it as the preferred form of energy for industrial, commercial, agricultural and domestic applications. However, the dispersed geographical nature and low energy consumption of potential electricity consumers in under-developed and rural areas in Southern Africa preclude the extension of the national electricity grid to meet these demands. Traditionally diesel generator sets have been used for off-grid power supply, but the advent of silicon based photovoltaic technology has introduced PV systems as an elegant and increasingly cost effective alternative to diesel gensets. Although studies have been conducted internationally, scant information is available on the relative performance and suitability of these two contrasting technologies in the Southern African context. In addition to conventional diesel genset systems, the introduction of an energy storage reservoir, in so-called genset-plus systems, represents a refinement in the operating characteristics of diesel gensets which also has not been critically evaluated. This study addresses the need for reliable and empirically derived data regarding the operating characteristics of PV and genset based off-grid power systems.

Bibliography: leaves 48-51. / The aim of this study was to develop a methodology that would cost-effectively supply reliable and up-to-date household energy information that can be utilised by energy policy-making and planning. One of the most serious constraints faced by energy planners and policy makers in developing countries is the absence of a systematic, comprehensive and structured household energy information system. A system of this nature, which requires regular updating, is a prerequisite for meeting the challenge of poverty alleviation. During the apartheid era, the only available household energy information was that of commercial fuels (oil. gas. coal and electricity), used mostly by industrial and commercial sectors and Whites households. The majority of Black households used traditional fuels (fuel-wood, paraffin etc.) for which no information was available. The present government has also not managed to devote adequate resources to this gap in data gathering and analysis, the important first step in developing energy policies and strategies. This thesis is an attempt to address this shortcoming, effectively by proposing that high school learners be engaged in household energy data gathering and dissemination with the objective of supplying reliable information cost-effectively for energy planning and policy-making. However, this study has also shown that this is only possible if preceded by a programme of energy education. The reasons for which energy education must be integrated with the school curriculum have been explored in the thesis. As a result of this research reliable, up-to-date household energy information was gathered cost-effectively. Learners benefited educationally and this in turn would equip them to make more rational decisions about energy production and usage in the future. Information gathered and knowledge about this methodology should be conveyed to local authorities, regional and national governments through appropriate structures in order to explore the potential of its extension to a larger scale implementation.

Includes bibliographical references. / This report presents the results of an energy study carried out on the clay brick industry of South Africa. The clay brick industry consumed approximately 38 PJ of energy in 1995, about 5% of manufacturing energy consumptions and had an energy intensity five times the average for the manufacturing sector. This combined with the uniform nature of the output and the fragmented nature of the industry made the clay brick industry an appropriate choice for the energy study.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-67).