Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings and Infrastructure Programme (EEPBIP)

Project description

Title: Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings and Infrastructure Programme (EEPBIP)
Commissioned by: NAMA Facility
Country: South Africa
Lead executing agency: Department of Mineral Resources and Energy
Overall term: 2019 to 2024

Context

South Africa’s reliance on coal-based electricity and the inefficient use of energy results in the nation ranking amongst the world’s highest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG). South Africa, like the rest of the continent, remains susceptible to the impacts of climate change, which are compounded by poverty and financial and technological constraints.

One of the country‘s measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change is through energy efficiency transformation within public sector buildings and infrastructure. The implementation of such initiatives however, faces challenges such as access to capital, limited institutional programme support structures, along with skills and capacity constraints. 

The Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings and Infrastructure Programme (EEPBIP) has been developed to address these challenges in promoting energy efficiency and reducing the impacts of climate change. 

Objective

EEPBIP reduces GHG emissions in South Africa by catalysing an energy efficiency transformation within the public-sector environment, through the mitigation of investment risks and the provision of technical support. 

Approach

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is the lead implementing partner of the EEPBIP. Other supporting partners include the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), the South African National Energy Development Agency (SANEDI), the National Business Initiative (NBI) and Carbon Trust as well as the International Development Corporation (IDC) who provides support on the financial component of the programme. GIZ acts as the delivery organisation on behalf of the NAMA Facility and provides technical assistance to the overall programme. Through the various workstreams of each partner, the EEPBIP prioritises both the public sector and the private sector by:

• Increasing energy savings potential within municipal, provincial and national buildings and infrastructure such as public buildings, streetlights and waste water treatment plants
• Mitigating climate change through energy efficiency interventions within the public sector
• Energy efficiency projects and policy development 
• Capacity building and awareness raising within the municipal, provincial and national spheres of government
• Enabling private sector investment to implement public sector energy efficiency projects through the establishment of a partial credit guarantee and energy performance contracting
• Enhancing the Energy Service Companies (ESCO’s) market by supporting the development of small and emerging ESCO’s.
• Supporting job creation and enterprise development

The EEPBIP integrates both national and sub national spheres of government to strengthen the public sector’s contribution to the adoption of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction.