Energy efficiency should precede renewable energy

Since 2011, the Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Project, established in 2010 in response to the growing need to improve the energy efficiency of South Africa, has saved enough energy to electrify 75 000 South African middle-income homes for 12 months, says National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA) technical manager Hemant Grover. The carbon emission avoidance through these savings, about 570 GWh of energy, is estimated at 568 000 t of carbon dioxide (CO2).