In a major rethink, the Central Energy Fund (CEF) has established two new energy bodies as part of its endeavours to deal with the country’s energy challenges: the National Energy Efficiency Agency (NEEA) and the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI).

The chief executive officer of the CEF, Maphumi Damani, stated that his organisation would be doing everything in its power to ensure that South Africa’s energy is fully developed and put to “good and efficient use” for the benefit of all South Africans.

The NEEA is a division of the CEF and will be overseeing the implementation of Eskom’s Demand Side Management (DSM) and other energy efficiency projects. The DSM funds will remain with Eskom, which will continue to manage the funds along with the NEEA’s Governance Body.

SANERI, on the other hand is a subsidiary of the CEF, and will be responsible for facilitating skills development and undertaking research and technology development which will ensure the full utilisation and optimisation of South Africa’s energy resources. The research institute will be based at the CEF’s head offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg. SANEA’s Technical Programme Director, Dr Chris Cooper, has been appointed to SANERI’s Board of Directors.

Damani announced that SANERI would be examining ways to optimise South Africa’s energy mix while at the same time capitalising on the country’s natural resources.

Barry Bredenkamp, who has been seconded from Eskom Holdings Ltd to head-up the NEEA, pointed out that the NEEA’s initial focus would be on the prioritisation and recommendation of energy efficiency and DSM projects.

He stated that the NEEA would be developing strategies to address the growing demand for all kinds of energy within South Africa. It would also create energy efficiency and DSM awareness campaigns to assist the public when purchasing energy-consuming equipment and appliances.

Bredenkamp added that the NEEA intended overseeing the integration and co-ordination of training in existing energy efficiency projects and would assist with skills transfer, capacity building and the creation of additional jobs in the field of energy conservation.