The methodology to monitor the achievement of energy efficiency targets, with energy efficiency indicators, has been completed, and the Department of Energy has started a review of its Energy Efficiency Strategy, which began in 2005.

DoE director for energy efficiency and environment Elsa du Toit noted that monitoring the progress of the strategy to date, was proving a difficult task, owing to the lack of energy consumption measuring and monitoring that was taking place in South Africa.

“You must measure and verify your energy consumption,” she stated, and highlighted that there was now a tax incentive to do so. She said that the regulation which has been implemented by the National Treasury, was a “big step forward” for energy efficiency, and the DoE.

In 2005, when the strategy was first published, there was a target of 12% overall energy savings, to be achieved by 2015. The individual target for the building sector was 20%, and is expressed as a percentage reduction against projected use of energy in 2015.

Du Toit said that it was envisaged that the Energy Efficiency Strategy move beyond mere strategy, and become the Energy Efficiency Policy. She added that Energy Minister Dipuo Peters had expressed interest in establishing the policy.

The strategy has eight goals, and these are: to improve the health of the nation; to create jobs; to alleviate energy poverty; to reduce environmental pollution; to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions; to improve industrial competitiveness; to enhance energy security; and to delay the need to build new power stations.

Under the strategy, a National Energy Response Team has been established, as well as an Integrated Ministerial Committee, which aimed to fast track the approval of standards and regulations, as well as ensuring that resources were not duplicated.

Du Toit noted that regulations were currently being drafted for appliance labelling, as the voluntary approach to labelling was not being taken up by industry. She said that the regulations would go out for public comment before publishing, but would likely only come into force in about 2011, in order to allow the market time to adjust.

Under another initiative, Du Toit said that R45-million has been made available for the Working for Energy Programme, which dealt mainly with the uptake of renewable energy technologies in the residential sector.