Global Research Alliance (GRA) — Smart sustainable energy for rural community development

There is a genuine opportunity for the developing world and rural areas to leapfrog the conventional Western paradigm of power. Where conventional electricity delivery is reliant on expensive, polluting and centrally controlled generation (with its spider web of infrastructure and dependence on decades-old technologies), the developing world can harness modern, low carbon, renewable, agile, smart and decentralised generation to rapidly deliver tailored, appropriate and sustainable energy, potentially with increased speed, reduced cost and better societal fit. The CSIR, together with two other members of the Global Research Alliance (GRA), TNO of The Netherlands and CSIRO of Australia and the University of Fort Hare have formed a core team to pool resources and know-how to develop a response to the Eastern Cape Provincial Government's Sustainable Energy Strategy's 9th Priority - universal access to energy. This paper will provide an overview of the comprehensively scoped energy initiative for rural community development and poverty alleviation. The scoping of this energy initiative is based on lessons learnt from extensive field work undertaken by the GRA members.