Harnessing Community Power for Sustainable Energy Access
In a country grappling with the impacts of climate change and an unreliable fossil fuel-dependent grid, South African communities are taking matters into their own hands. From the KwaZakhele Township in Nelson Mandela Bay to the Magliano Alpi community in the Italian Alps, grassroots solar initiatives are demonstrating the power of local energy ownership to drive clean energy transitions, improve resilience, and strengthen community wellbeing.
Overcoming Energy Poverty and Grid Instability
South Africa’s reliance on aging, coal-fired power plants has left much of the country in the dark. Rolling blackouts, known as “load shedding,” can plunge homes and businesses into darkness for up to 12 hours a day. This crisis is exacerbated by the consequences of climate change, including prolonged droughts that reduce hydropower generation and severe flooding events.
Faced with these challenges, communities are refusing to remain passive. In the KwaZakhele Township, the “Saltuba Cooperative” has taken the initiative to produce, manage, and sell their own electricity. Working with researchers from Nelson Mandela University, the cooperative installed a 5 kW solar array on a public “gap tap” – unused space between buildings – to power nearby homes.
“If the gap tap at Saltuba had a 50 kW installation, it would be able to generate approximately R10,000 per month for 25 years or more,” explains Patrick Brennan, a member of the Transition Township project team. “There are 120 gap taps in KwaZakhele township alone, and the community researchers calculated that this could translate to significant income generation and energy independence for the entire community.”
Transforming Unused Spaces into Community Assets
The Saltuba Cooperative’s project is part of a broader “Transition Township” initiative that aims to repurpose underutilized public spaces to support local economic development and sustainability. Beyond the solar installation, the Transition Township also houses a community garden irrigated by greywater and rainwater, a recycling facility, and an internet café constructed from reclaimed materials.
“When a community owns the solar asset, it has the real power of deciding where the profits go,” says Jason Angell, co-founder of the Ecological Citizen’s Project, which partners with Working Power to develop community-owned solar projects. “This won’t happen unless you flip the ownership structure and the values that guide renewable energy development.”
Overcoming Regulatory Hurdles
While the Saltuba Cooperative’s initial 5 kW solar array has demonstrated the potential of community-owned energy, regulatory barriers have slowed the project’s expansion and prevented residents from directly profiting from their electricity sales. The cooperative must navigate complex licensing requirements and negotiations with the municipality to sell excess power to the grid.
“Regulatory barriers make social ownership of renewable energy projects much more difficult,” explains Janet Cherry, another member of the Transition Township team. “They demonstrate a lack of local and national support for community-led clean energy solutions.”
To address these challenges, the South African Presidential Climate Commission has recommended policy reforms to enable and incentivize community-owned renewable energy projects. Recommendations include establishing dedicated financing mechanisms, streamlining regulatory processes, and ensuring benefits are directly distributed to participating households.
Scaling Community Solar Across South Africa
Despite the obstacles, the Saltuba Cooperative’s model is highly replicable and scalable. The researchers estimate that just 120 gap taps in KwaZakhele could support over 100 kW of community-owned solar, generating significant income and energy savings for residents.
“Community-owned energy provides numerous benefits, such as giving citizens more control over their resources and decreasing local vulnerability,” says Rian van Staden, South Africa’s coordinator for the Global 10% Renewable Energy initiative. “It also supports national climate and resilience goals by building wealth in historically marginalized communities.”
As South Africa works to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets, community-led initiatives like the Saltuba Cooperative will be critical to ensuring a just and equitable clean energy transition. By harnessing underutilized spaces and empowering local stakeholders, these grassroots projects are demonstrating a path forward for sustainable, community-driven development.
Overcoming Barriers to Community Solar Development
While the Saltuba Cooperative’s solar project has shown the immense potential of community-owned renewable energy, realizing this vision faces several challenges that must be addressed.
Regulatory Hurdles
One of the primary obstacles is navigating the complex web of regulations governing small-scale electricity generation and sales. Under current rules, the Saltuba Cooperative is unable to directly sell the excess electricity it produces to the municipal grid, instead only receiving credits on residents’ electricity accounts.
“Regulatory barriers have made it difficult for the Cooperative to actually profit from the energy it generates,” explains Patrick Brennan. “This demonstrates the need for policy reforms that enable and incentivize community-owned renewable projects.”
The South African Presidential Climate Commission has outlined several recommendations to address these regulatory challenges, including:
- Establishing dedicated financing mechanisms and support programs for community-based renewable energy initiatives
- Streamlining licensing and procurement processes to reduce bureaucratic barriers
- Ensuring benefits from community-owned projects are directly distributed to participating households
Securing Financing and Land Access
Accessing the upfront capital required for community solar projects is another common barrier. The Saltuba Cooperative’s initial installation was funded through grants from organizations like the Ezethu Trust and the German state funding agency DAAD. However, securing ongoing financing remains a challenge.
“Lack of access to capital is often the primary barrier to community-owned solar,” notes Ian Fischer, co-founder of Working Power, a nonprofit that partners with local groups to develop community solar projects. “Innovative financing mechanisms and stronger policy support are essential to enabling more communities to take control of their energy future.”
Land ownership and access also poses complications, as the Saltuba Cooperative’s project is built on municipal-owned “gap tap” space. Ensuring long-term access and control over land is a critical concern for communities seeking to develop their own renewable energy assets.
Fostering Community Engagement and Buy-In
Beyond technical and regulatory barriers, community engagement and buy-in are essential for the success of these grassroots initiatives. The Saltuba Cooperative has faced some resistance from residents concerned about the impact on their existing electricity subsidies or the reliability of solar power.
“Community buy-in is both tenuous and critical,” explains Janet Cherry. “A comprehensive just energy transition must address the intersecting social and economic challenges that communities face, building trust and addressing concerns to ensure broad participation.”
The Transition Township project has sought to address this through inclusive, participatory processes, engaging residents in working groups focused on renewable energy, food production, and waste management. This approach helps ensure the project aligns with local priorities and secures community ownership.
Navigating Municipal Relationships
The relationship between community-owned projects and local governments is another key dynamic that must be carefully managed. While municipalities can be important partners, providing access to land and infrastructure, they may also view community-owned energy as a threat to their own revenue streams.
“Since a significant portion of electricity produced by the state-owned utility Eskom is routed through municipalities, social ownership of generation may stymie a source of municipal revenue,” cautions the Presidential Climate Commission report. “Close communication and coordination between ‘prosumers’ and municipal leadership is needed to minimize potential conflict.”
Successful models like the Saltuba Cooperative demonstrate the importance of cultivating collaborative relationships with local governments, finding ways to align community-owned energy initiatives with municipal priorities and revenue needs.
Replicating the Saltuba Cooperative’s Approach
The Saltuba Cooperative’s community-owned solar project in the KwaZakhele Township offers a powerful blueprint for grassroots clean energy initiatives across South Africa. By harnessing underutilized public spaces, engaging residents, and navigating regulatory barriers, the cooperative has demonstrated the potential for local ownership to drive sustainable development and community empowerment.
Identifying Suitable Sites and Infrastructure
A key first step is assessing the community’s existing physical assets and infrastructure that could be repurposed for renewable energy generation. In KwaZakhele, the “gap taps” – unused spaces between buildings – provided an ideal location for the Saltuba Cooperative’s initial 5 kW solar array.
“Community-scale projects can utilize a variety of existing public spaces, from carports and rooftops to abandoned industrial sites,” explains Patrick Brennan. “Identifying these underutilized assets is crucial to developing viable, community-owned renewable energy projects.”
Engaging the Community and Building Partnerships
Meaningful community engagement is another essential element of the Saltuba Cooperative’s approach. The Transition Township project involved residents in working groups focused on renewable energy, food production, and waste management, ensuring the initiative aligned with local priorities and secured broad community buy-in.
“Developing trust and establishing collaborative relationships with the community is critical,” says Janet Cherry. “This helps address concerns, incorporate local knowledge, and build a sense of shared ownership over the project.”
Beyond the community, the Saltuba Cooperative has also forged partnerships with key stakeholders, including the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the KwaZakhele Development Agency, and researchers from Nelson Mandela University. These collaborations have provided technical expertise, funding, and access to infrastructure that have been essential to the project’s success.
Navigating Regulatory Barriers
Overcoming the web of regulations governing small-scale electricity generation and sales remains a significant challenge. The Saltuba Cooperative’s experience highlights the need for policy reforms that streamline processes and enable community-owned projects to directly profit from their renewable energy generation.
“Regulatory barriers make social ownership of renewable energy projects much more difficult,” explains Janet Cherry. “They demonstrate a lack of local and national support for community-led clean energy solutions.”
To address these barriers, the South African Presidential Climate Commission has recommended the establishment of dedicated financing mechanisms, simplified licensing requirements, and clear guidelines for how community-owned projects can sell excess electricity to the grid.
Securing Sustainable Financing
Accessing the upfront capital required for community solar projects is another common hurdle. The Saltuba Cooperative’s initial installation was funded through grants, but securing ongoing financing remains a challenge.
“Lack of access to capital is often the primary barrier to community-owned solar,” notes Ian Fischer of Working Power. “Innovative financing mechanisms and stronger policy support are essential to enabling more communities to take control of their energy future.”
Potential solutions include dedicated community energy funds, tax incentives, and partnerships with financial institutions and development agencies to provide low-cost financing and technical assistance.
Fostering Scalable, Replicable Models
The Saltuba Cooperative’s project is designed to be highly scalable, with the potential to leverage the 120 gap taps in the KwaZakhele Township to support over 100 kW of community-owned solar generation. This model could be replicated in other South African communities, empowering residents to take control of their energy future while generating income and driving sustainable development.
“Community-owned energy provides numerous benefits, such as giving citizens more control over their resources and decreasing local vulnerability,” explains Rian van Staden of the Global 10% Renewable Energy initiative. “It also supports national climate and resilience goals by building wealth in historically marginalized communities.”
As South Africa works to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets, grassroots initiatives like the Saltuba Cooperative will be crucial to ensuring a just and equitable clean energy transition. By harnessing underutilized spaces, engaging residents, and overcoming regulatory barriers, these community-driven projects offer a path forward for sustainable, locally-led development.
Conclusion
In the face of climate change, energy poverty, and an unreliable grid, South African communities are taking the future into their own hands. The Saltuba Cooperative’s community-owned solar project in the KwaZakhele Township stands as a powerful example of how grassroots renewable energy initiatives can drive sustainable development, improve community resilience, and empower residents to be active participants in the clean energy transition.
By repurposing underutilized public spaces, engaging residents, and navigating regulatory hurdles, the Saltuba Cooperative has demonstrated a replicable model for scaling community-owned solar across South Africa. As the country works to rapidly expand its renewable energy capacity, initiatives like this will be essential to ensuring the benefits of the clean energy transition are equitably distributed and that marginalized communities are not left behind.
While significant challenges remain, the Saltuba Cooperative’s experience offers valuable lessons and a blueprint for other communities seeking to take control of their energy future. By harnessing the power of local ownership and inclusive, participatory processes, these grassroots projects are paving the way for a more just, resilient, and sustainable energy landscape in South Africa and beyond.
To learn more about community-owned solar initiatives and how you can get involved, visit the Joint Action for Water website.
