Worldwide 1.1 billion people continue to live without access to electricity. More than 95% of those without access to electricity live in sub-Saharan Africa and developing Asia. While progress is being made, rapid population growth continues to challenge that progress. Perhaps needless to say but the most significant depravation is amongst rural communities. The … [Read more...]
Parkhurst’s offgrid power plan an SA revelation
The Johannesburg suburb of Parkhurst is nothing if not a technology trend setter. Last year, the local residents’ association took the decision not to wait for Telkom to come and lay fibre in the area, and put together its own tender for a private company to come in and cable homes up. In a striking example of grassroots democracy in action, residents voted with their … [Read more...]
HOW TO SERIES PART 1: How to go off the grid with solar
Today starts our new HOW TO SERIES – on demand by you our readers. How do we take our environmental footprints into our own hands and radically reduce our negative impact on the planet we hope to leave behind to our children in a liveable state? How do we adapt to the realities of the environmental crisis and live with reverence and joy? Every second week we will publish the … [Read more...]
Tasty tales from the Overberg
Environmentalist film production and media agency Green Renaissance has recently closed shop in Cape Town and moved to a tiny off-grid home in the Overberg, along the Cape's South Coast. They continue to produce the most creative short films on topics related to sustainable living, which we will be sharing with your regularly. Here are two from their new series of … [Read more...]
Solar panels power world’s first off-grid toll plaza
Zimbabwe has kicked off a major road upgrade project with the opening of a toll plaza that is believed to be the world’s first to meet all its electricity needs without a grid connection. The plaza, about 20km from Bulawayo, derives the bulk of its electricity from arrays of solar panels on the roof over the lanes and collection booths, which charge two battery banks for … [Read more...]
Bringing sustainability back to Greyton
Greyton is a small rural community based in South Africa’s Western Cape. It lies in the foothills of the Riviersonderend Mountains in a dramatically beautiful region known as the Overberg, 140 kms east of Cape Town. In January 2012, Greyton became South Africa's first Transition Town. Inspired by Totnes in Devon, England, UK ex-pat Nicola Vernon undertook training in the … [Read more...]
