ABSTRACT

AfricaZED adapts the ZEDtools already described to ease the quality of life for low-income people in the countryside and townships around major conurbations, such as Johannesburg. Electricity supply in South Africa is already subject to load shedding and blackouts, so any alternative power sources for light, the internet and affordable transport would be of benefit. The shortage of electricity supply in South Africa is estimated at 5,000 MW, and the resulting blackouts have far-reaching detrimental effects, not only as an unwelcome inconvenience for industrial and domestic users, exacerbated by substantial price increases, but as a constraint on the nation’s economic and social growth. The ZEDfactory is designed to meet these needs, with a prefabricated galvanised steel portal frame and a roof entirely clad in solar panels, while the walls are made of low-cost locally-sourced materials. The chapter demonstrates that all the technology discussed within the ZEDenergy solution, with an emphasis on energy-efficient load management renewable electricity production and storage.