The sun is a major energy resource, and so much more in the case of Namibia, where with the influence of the Namib Desert, sunlight hours per day can average from 9 to 11 hours per day, depending on the time and season of the year. However, solar energy still remains a largely untapped form of energy for Namibia. While people continue to pay large sums of money to foot their electricity bill every month, the sun's rays continue to go to waste.
Making the sun work for Namibia
According to an informative article on Solar energy by National Geographic, the environment is composed of a large number of catalysts that can dramatically change the way we work, 'Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it usable. Today, the technology produces less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand'.
With an increasing electricity demand and some of two-thirds of this demand being imported, Namibia, and most countries in the Southern African region, are well placed to make the most of this vast source of renewable energy, instead of relying on foreign sources for the supply of electricity. Although it is agreed that Namibia's natural resources could well boost the national economy, a number of challenges lie in the way of creating sustainable and secure energy.
Go Green but It's not Cheap
According to an article published on the 11th July 2011, written by Jana-Mari Smith for The Namibian Newspaper entitled, 'Green Light for Renewable Energy in Namibia ', the challenges that face Namibia when it comes to the use of renewable energy resources play a major part in obstructing the use of renewable resources in the country. If Namibia is to rely on cheaper and more efficient uses of energy in the future, intervention will have to come much more sooner than later.
Lack of substantial investment in the power generation infrastructure for renewable energy and with no proper policy framework for the established use of renewable resources, finding a direction for sustainability has been difficult. Jani-Mari continues to state that renewable energy, and in specific solar energy would curtail the access to electricity for people on the African continent, of which only 31 percent have access to electricity, whereas in some areas this number increases upwards to 60 percent.
Attitude of Change
Although solar energy has its own drawbacks, the effects are far reaching. With further additional challenges such as high costs, maintaining sustainability and having a proper system in place for harnessing the sun when the weather does not permit, solar energy is a source of energy that will be free of all pollution and an unlimited source of energy for future generations.
To top it all off, more jobs will be created with the establishment of solar energy factories, and with the creation of a sustainable energy resource, the impending disaster of an energy crisis will be steadily averted. Most importantly the attitude of our leaders will need to change to be more geared towards the creation of sustainable energy resources.
Sources:
National Geographic, The Environment
The Namibian Newspaper, 11th July 2011, Jana-Mari Smith, 'Green Light for Renewable Energy in Namibia.'
Sharon Kasanda - Sharon Kasanda Suite 101.com Contributing Writer Sharon Kasanda is a contributing writer on Suite 101.com. She completed her ...
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