Let’s understand what R100 billion buys us when it comes to energy. We will compare a coal fired power s
tation with alternative solutions. Most people have no idea what R100 billion is and what it can buy.
Two years ago, R100 Billion bought one 5GW power station. This power station requires about 8,000 people to build and about 1,000 people to run and several hundred more to supply it. It requires 35 tons of coal every 15 seconds to run, needs coal mines, trucks, fuel to dig the mines, run the trucks, it requires roads to be built and serviced, ongoing maintenance, etc.
It also requires a huge amount of concrete to be poured. [And concrete as most of you know is the biggest source of pollution after converting coal into oil.]
Let’s look at an alternative that can be easily understood.
R100 Billion is equal to 6,666,667 * R15,000 solar water heaters.
[Ie 10,000,000 * R10,000 = R100,000,000,000]
Assuming that there are 200 working days per year, then over 8 years there are 1600 working days.
Assuming we wish to install 10 million solar water heaters in 1600 days, we need to install 4,167 solar water heaters per day. This would mean that the entire suburb of Milnerton for example would get solar water heaters in one day.
Assuming a team of three people to install one solar water heater per day, we need 12,500 installers. Together with manufacturing, support, supply chain, maintenance, sales people, electricians, inspectors, this industry might permanently support double that number to reach 25,000 people.
And best of all it would replace 13 GW of power stations, ie it would need 13 GW of electricity to power 6,666,667 electrical water heaters, so it can be said that our money is at almost 3 times more efficient when spent on solar water than on electricity to heat water.
Figures and original article adapted and adjusted from comment by David Lipschitz
