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Duncan Palmer has had a renewable energy-focused career dating back over a decade, with more than 10 years on solar specifically. As CEO of STI Norland South Africa, Palmer aims to drive continuous improvement in the energy industry to provide solutions with long-term returns.
As the renewable energy market takes off, Palmer says he knows he is in the right industry as "energy is genuinely something to get excited about".
Palmer anticipates that "massive growth is yet to come" and looks forward to being a part of implementing changes.
As a South African, Palmer has first-hand experience of an energy deficits impacts and believes that solar power can ease the burden of energy insecurity, so much so that his Golden Retriever is named Solar.
"Living in South Africa, loadshedding is a constant reminder as it negatively impacts daily life and is currently the most significant factor preventing economic growth," Palmer commented.
"Every watt of solar power installed helps ease the burden on 60.9 million people." Despite his desire that solar has its day in the sun, Palmer acknowledges there is still a need for coal and nuclear in South Africas energy mix.
However, he considers that a harmonised ecosystem needs to be created between diverse energy sources to transition to friendlier generation capacity and address climate change.
As a big proponent of energy efficiency, Palmer advocates, first and foremost, for forming good energy habits and implementing effective energy systems.
This strategy aligns with his favourite inspirational quote: "The small changes can have a massive impact" from Malcolm Gladwells The Tipping Point.
On this premise, Palmer stated that if he were to deliver a keynote address at an international event, he would title it: Africa, beyond the crossroads.
Given its current energy availability, he said this keynote presentation would focus on identifying Africas potential opportunities to ensure future energy security.
As someone who believes that his skillset lies in finance, specifically in corporate and tax structures, Palmer also considers that financial strategies can provide faster solutions to Africas energy sector challenges.
He proposes zero-rated renewable equipment, including modules, inverters and batteries for small-end users.
Just as South Africa previously considered zero-rating all solar PV modules, he suggests that VAT be fully refundable upon proven claim and that a percentage of PV system costs be deemed a tax deduction against personal income. Removing this expense would encourage investment in renewables.
Though Palmer acknowledges that "quick and Africa are not normally associated with each other, and there is, unfortunately, no easy solution" to address Africas energy challenges, he does believe that education at a government level would be highly beneficial.
Palmer suggests that additional education in technology, best practice, external funding avenues and policy development at a government level could create more effective guidance.
"The guidance and, most importantly, the desire must come from governments during the early phases until there is systemic momentum," he said.
If Palmer were to take the role of energy minister himself, he would promote an attractive time-of-use based feed-in tariff to purchase electricity from the private sector for a fixed time frame.
"This can be aligned with a time-of-use net metering policy for each customer willing to contribute," Palmer notes.
"Companies have the means and ability to get it done quickly while maintaining a strong business case. Yes, its not without its challenges, but many small installations quickly add up, even when only considering residential systems."
According to Palmer, allowing and supporting embedded generation and promoting wheeling, at a fee, through state infrastructure can have a significant positive impact on the entire energy sector.
He noted that people and businesses are keen and entrepreneurial, but policymakers need to create an environment where they can flourish.
In the long-term, Palmer expressed that his blue sky vision for Africas power and energy system would be to achieve decentralised energy generation on a community-level scale.
This vision will include centralised power facilities for communities housing amenities such as refrigerators, cooking spaces, TV theatres, power points, internet hotspots, and swappable batteries for power at home. ESI |
