The energy intensity of South Africa’s economy – defined as energy consumption as a function of gross domestic product – is about twice the international average and electrical energy consumption is about 40% higher than the international average, says the Academy of Science South Africa (ASSAf). “The availability of appropriate, reliable and affordable energy is central to the sustainability and further development of modern societies,” the ASSAf emphasises in the introduction to its ‘State of Research, Development and Innovation of Electrical Energy Efficiency Technology in South Africa 2018’ report.