Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 26 January 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The government’s solar panel incentive, introduced last year to promote renewable energy use, is set to expire on 29 February. The incentive offers a 25-percent rebate of up to 15-thousand-rand for new solar panels brought into use by that date. Despite calls for an extension and expansion to include batteries and inverters, National Treasury has stuck to its guns, emphasising the urgency of solar installations. Solar providers, meanwhile, assure interested households installations can still be completed on time, offering a streamlined process from quote to documentation.

# The sales of new energy vehicles have seen a significant increase of 65-percent year-on-year in 2023. Hybrid vehicles have accounted for the majority of these sales, reflecting the global shift towards green energy. Toyota South Africa Motors has reported a 22-percent year-on-year rise in NEV sales. CEO Andrew Kirby attributes this growth to an increasing focus on technological innovations, and integration of customised software into vehicle operating systems. He says this surge in sales highlights the country’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions.

# And finally: A change in wind direction is hampering efforts to control the Kluitjieskraal fire near Wolseley in the Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape. The fire in the Suurvlakte area split into two lines, one line on the Wolseley side of the Obiqua Mountains and another on the Wellington side. The municipality’s spokesperson, Jo-Anne Otto, says the fire on Wolseley’s side in the Verrekyker area just above Kluitjieskraal moved rapidly toward agricultural land containing a variety of structures, including formal and informal homes:

Stay tuned for more news………….