Barriers and opportunities for SMME participation in renewable energy industry

Abstract

Renewable energy can be explained as energy that is derived from natural resources and processes, that are not depleted but replenished at a rate that is faster than the consumption thereof (International Energy Agency, 2018). This form of energy has gained a lot of interest as a result of its advantages over the conventional energy generation from fossil resources that are currently depleting and results to pollution. South Africa in-line with the energy transition to low-carbon, by introducing the renewable energy into the energy mix, established the Integrated Resource Plan 2010 for electricity, which stipulates the energy composition for the country, by the Department of Energy (DoE) (Department of Energy, 2013). This plan was promulgated in March 2011 and has been the basis for the establishment of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), to facilitate introduction of renewable energy into the grid.