A renewable energy solution for small to large businesses in the Kingdom of Eswatin
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
The Kingdom of Eswatini’s electricity supply is not self-sufficient and relies on the import of electricity to meet its local demand. This has resulted in the country
importing 73% of its electricity from foreign suppliers including South Africa, Mozambique, and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). This heavy reliance on imports means the country cannot guarantee future supply nor have full control of the tariffs charged to customers for electricity.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology installations have seen a steady increase worldwide due to improved efficiency in technology performance and a decrease
in the cost of the technology. These advancements have resulted in solar technology becoming cheaper than traditional sources of energy available to consumers.
The business venture investigates the viability of using solar technology as a solution to the high electricity costs being paid by small to large businesses within
Eswatini. The venture aims to install, own, operate, and maintain solar PV plants at the customer’s property and sell the generated power to the customer. The
venture does not seek to replace the utility supply but aims to provide an alternative cheaper solution as an input into operations.
The business venture proposal targeted small to large businesses from varying industries across the country as respondents for the study. In the study, the
market perception towards solar technology as well as consumer behavior analyzed to assist in formulating a business model for the venture which would
ensure uptake of the value offering. Furthermore, the business venture investigated the viability of the project by evaluating performance parameters
which included the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of the solar plants, cash flows, Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and the Net Present Value (NPV)
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023
Keywords
Electricity supply, Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Solar photovoltaic (PV), Renewable energy, Eswatini, UCTD
Citation
Manana, Cusilakhe. (2023). A renewable energy solution for small to large businesses in the Kingdom of Eswatin [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.