Solar energy trial in Folovhodwe South Africa: Lessons for policy and decision-makers

In Mutale Local Authority of South Africa, a photovoltaic pilot project was commissioned to provide off-grid electricity to 582 households residing in Folovhodwe village. The aim was to try a renewable source of energy supply in a rural settlement area. The Beneficiaries Assessment method was used to assess the problems of the implementation and operation of the solar energy project in Folovhodwe. The project initiators did not realize that there would be the problem of the sustainable implementation of the project. The problem of sustainability was related to the inadequate definition of the role of each stakeholder. For example the end users were not taught how to properly operate and repair faulty equipment because it was not built into the planning and implementation stages of the project. Skill acquisition through capacity building for the end users can promote the sustainability of the project on a long-term basis. In Folovhodwe, improper planning and implementation of the project was responsible for the failure of the project. The project initiators did not foresee the problem of theft of materials, problems related to the procurement of spare parts and who would bear the cost of maintenance of the facilities. The failure of the project was also related to the inability of the policy makers to tackle the question of the role that each stakeholder should play to ensure the success of the project in a rural setting. The suggestion to policy and decision-makers is that pilot projects with relatively new technology input in a rural area should reconsider the importance of culture, capacity development and the level of income of the end users at the initial planning stage and implementation.