The privately-led quintupling of rooftop solar in 2 years takes some pressure off the grid but, without planning, risks deepening energy apartheid. At the tick of the hour, the whole neighbourhood turns dark. Residents scramble to turn on flashlights and candles. In supermarkets, shoppers stop in their tracks, patiently waiting for generators to get into gear, while businesses who cannot afford the backup batteries simply close their doors. This scene has become habitual in South Africa, where rolling blackouts caused by an ailing electricity grid are a daily occurrence. For the past few weeks, however, Ajay Lalu’s lights have stayed … Continue reading South Africa’s energy crisis is driving a “solar boom”, but there’s a downside