Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) promotes equitable, low carbon, clean energy development in urban South Africa and Africa. We do this through research, capacity building, policy engagement and information dissemination.

Sustainable Energy Development

Energy Poverty

Planning and Mobility

Urban Energy Support is an information portal of relevant documents and resources, with an emphasis on practical tools and guides to support the transition towards sustainable local energy development and a low carbon trajectory for the country in the context of global climate change.

What’s new


SEA contributes to the REN21 Renewables in Cities Global Status Report
This report is the first comprehensive resource to collaboratively map the current trends and developments of renewable energy in cities. SEA is excited to be a contributor to the African component of this report, highlighting the progress towards implementing renewable energy in several African cities.

IRP 2019:Some implications for Local Government
 The recently released Integrated Resource Plan 2019 directs the future of the electricity sector, and includes greater renewable energy and embedded generation allocations compared with the previous plan. This presentation by SALGA and SEA describes the IRP2019 with a focus on the implications for municipal distributors.

C40 South Africa Buildings Programme
The objective of this project is to accelerate the development and implementation of energy efficiency policies and programmes for new buildings in South African cities by 2020 to work towards a net zero carbon performance. Cities are required to develop new building codes which exceed the current new building energy codes on energy efficiency (SANS 10400 XA). The South Africa Buildings Programme aims to support the four C40 partner cities viz. eThekwini, Tshwane, Johannesburg and Cape Town in implementing low carbon and/or carbon-zero buildings.

KZN GHG Mitigation Opportunities
The programme aims to help regions in developing and newly industrialized countries to better understand the mitigation opportunities presented by their climate change emissions’ profile, by improving and expanding Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of GHG emissions and undertaking MRV of mitigation actions where sufficiently robust GHG inventories are in place.

What is the missing piece for building ‘green’?
Despite the emerging business case for ‘green’ or NZC buildings, the perception that such buildings have a higher capital cost with low returns on investment remains a barrier. An initial scoping exercise, in support of the C40 Buildings Programme, highlighted the common concern that ‘green’ or NZC building requirements would financially burden and constrain development, particularly in a time of recession. This prompted the implementing team at Sustainable Energy Africa with the eThekwini advisor for the C40-SEA New Buildings Programme, to explore the question in some detail, hoping to establish an evidence-base of the cost differential between ‘standard specification’ buildings and NZC buildings.

SEA comments on the Integrated Resource Plan
SEA commends the Department of Energy on courageously taking the planning of the electricity sector in a new direction. SEA is primarily active in the establishment and maintenance of networks supporting the sustainable and equitable use of energy through local government in South Africa and the region. Our criticisms and comments are therefore made positively and constructively. The following comment is entirely that of SEA based on its experience in the sector.

Green Building goes Net-Zero Carbon
 To advance our mission and propel the industry, some of the founders of SEA together with an architect designed the Green Building to demonstrate how low carbon buildings could be designed, constructed, and occupied – and demonstrate commercial viability. The Green Building, which is the home of SEA, went Net-Zero Carbon in September 2018, and this blog post documents the journey of achieving this milestone.

City of Cape Town engages business on achieving a resource efficient, Net Zero Carbon future at their September Energy, Water and Waste forum
The City of Cape Town’s Energy, Water and Waste forum was established in 2009 to enhance communications with the business sector on resource efficiency. It provides a platform for sharing city information, practical knowledge and support for taking action. This September Forum focussed on carbon neutral business strategies.

Aiming for Zero-Carbon New Buildings in South African metros
Four of South Africa’s metros – Cape Town, eThekwini, Johannesburg and Tshwane – are working towards the implementation of ambitious policies and innovative programmes that aim for net zero carbon emissions from newly-built buildings by 2050.

Cities Matter
Capacity building in sub-Saharan African megacities for transformational climate change mitigation

C40 Cities GPC Emissions Inventories
SEA provides technical support to C40 African member cities in producing emissions inventories.

Sustainable Energy Solutions for Local Government - A Practical Guide
This is the third iteration of a practical how-to handbook for local municipalities on the roll-out of sustainable energy measures.

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WARNING: Scammers in Durban and Eastern Cape
Please be warned of scammers posing as Sustainable Energy Africa operating in the Durban and Eastern Cape areas. These scammers are accepting payment for the instalment of solar water heaters and other domestic equipment and not returning. Please note that SEA does not sell nor install any equipment. If you have been approached or have any information, please do let us know. Any information to track down these con artists will be useful. Please call Mukta Govan at 021 702 3622.