South Africa: Denmark assists South Africa in improving renewable energy regulation
The Department of Energy in South Africa is with help from the Danish-South African Renewable Energy Programme building a comprehensive renewable energy database to enhance energy planning and regulation of the energy sector. The programme invited from 6-10 June a South African delegation to Denmark to learn more about Danish experiences on collecting and processing data from renewable energy.
The Danish Government is collaborating with the South African Department of Energy to implement a Renewable Energy Programme. One of the projects being implemented under the Danish-South African Renewable Energy Programme is the Renewable Energy Data and Information Service (REDIS). The project focuses on a building a comprehensive renewable energy database that will enhance the Department of Energy’s ability to enhance energy planning and improve regulation in the field of renewable energy.
Study tour to Denmark
A delegation of officials working on energy planning in South Africa participated from 6-10 June 2016 in a study tour to learn more about Danish experiences on data and statistics in renewable energy. The aim of the study tour was for the South African regulators in the Department of Energy (DoE) to learn more about Danish methods on energy data collection, data management and systems. This will help DoE to develop technical capacity for collecting, processing and reporting on data relating to electricity generation particular from renewable resources. The study tour is a part of the capacity building of DoE-employees working on REDIS. The participants went through a comprehensive five day programme where they among others visited the Danish Energy Agency, Energinet.dk and a selection of Danish companies relying on the Danish public database on renewable energy.
The delegation was in the Danish Energy Agency introduced to Danish energy planning and energy data collection followed by workgroup training on methods in energy statistics. Also the framework for renewable energy statistics legislation in Denmark where presented. Furthermore, a whole day was dedicated, through introductions and workgroup training, to learn more on how Denmark uses socio-economic analysis, baseline projections, end-use modelling and GIS mapping in energy planning. At the Danish TSO, Energinet.dk, the delegation learned more about strategy for managing energy data in general and the architecture of the so-called “Energy Datastore” expected to be in operation by mid-2017.
The delegation also visited;
- Energitjenesten in Aarhus to give the perspectives for NGO collaboration with government on developing information services targeting household and small businesses.
- EMD International and NeoGrid in Aalborg, to introduce how new green energy businesses and entrepreneurs rely on access to public energy data services in developing new innovative products and projects in the energy field.
- Aalborg CSP in Aalborg to be introduced to solar thermal heating technology perspectives.
- Sunmark/Arcon, manufacturer of flat panel solar heating projects as an introduction to Danish and international perspectives for large-scale solar thermal heating.
The study tour was concluded with a stakeholder discussion gathering Statistics Denmark, Confederation of Danish Industries and the Danish Energy Association for the South Africans to get a better understanding of the broadly based foundation of cooperation it requires to establish transparent and operative data availability across the whole energy sector.
Steffen Nielsen Specialkonsulent
Center for Global Rådgivning og Forhandling
Tlf.: 33 92 66 96
