Roula Inglesi
Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
James N. Blignaut
Department of Economics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Marian Klobasa
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, Karlsruhe, Germany
Felipe Toro
Institute for Resource Efficiency and Energy Strategies, Karlsruhe, Germany
Farikha Idrissova
Institute for Resource Efficiency and Energy Strategies, Karlsruhe, Germany
Felix Reitze
Institute for Resource Efficiency and Energy Strategies, Karlsruhe, Germany
M. F. Mohamed
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia \ Faculty of the Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
S. King
Faculty of the Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
M. Behnia
School of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
D. Prasad
Faculty of the Built Environment, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Helene Ahlborg
Environmental Systems Analysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
Linus Hammar
Environmental Systems Analysis, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
Asim. M. Widatalla
Linkoping University, Dept. Of Thematic Studies, Water and Environmental Studies, Linkoping, Sweden
Heim Zinko
Linköping University, Department of Management and Engineering, Energy Systems, Linkoping, Sweden
Helmut Strasser
SIR Salzburger Institut für Raumordnung und Wohnen, Salzburg, Austria
Boris Mahler
Steinbeis Transferzentrum, Energie-, Gebäude- und Solartechnik, Stuttgart, Germany
Norbert Dorfinger
Salzburg AG, Salzburg, Austria
Soteris A. Kalogirou
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
Bacenetti Jacopo
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Milan, Italy
Fiala Marco
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Milan, Italy
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/ecp11057960Published in: World Renewable Energy Congress - Sweden; 8-13 May; 2011; Linköping; Sweden
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 57:28, p. 960-967
Published: 2011-11-03
ISBN: 978-91-7393-070-3
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
Improving a country’s electricity efficiency is considered one of the important ways to reduce a country’s greenhouse gas emissions. This paper’s main purpose is to compare the South African total electricity intensity with these of the OECD members; in order to establish a sense of South Africa’s relative performance. These results will assist in ascertaining possible scope for improvement; and if such exits; determining in which of the industrial sectors. To calculate the electricity intensities; we defined them as the ratio of electricity consumption to total output and then compare the South African with their OECD counterparts in total and disaggregated levels. For some of the countries the data were not sufficient for analysis over a long time period. Our results indicate that South Africa not only suffers from higher total and sectoral intensity levels but also the gap between them is increasing at an alarming rate. We conclude that for South Africa to improve its industrial competitiveness and achieve its stated commitments to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; it will have to improve its efficiency. This is likely to be achieved only through a concerted sector-specific approach.
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