21/05/2019. This is no secret for anyone! Madagascar, like all other developing countries, does not lack energy resources to move forward. However, if we look at everyone’s willingness, it is not tomorrow that we will rise to the level of European countries. At least not yet… The natural potential is present in our country, but the problem may still come from the Malagasy people’s ignorance of the use of renewable energies in general or from the lack of infrastructure for exploitation. For this reason, questionnaire and pen in hand, our team of dedicated journalists went down to the field. The goal is to better know and understand the commitment to renewable energy in Madagascar. Stileex Post therefore ratified every corner of the capital of Madagascar by polling 888 people representative of the gender, age and socio-professional categories of Tana’s citizens.
Table of contents
- In Antananarivo, almost everyone knows about renewable energies
- The public sector consumes the most energy in Madagascar
- The best option against load shedding
- The people of Tananarivo favour hydraulic and solar energy
- Antananarivo hesitates between fossil and renewable energies
- To conclude this survey on renewable energies in Antananarivo
In Antananarivo, almost everyone knows about renewable energies
A large majority of Tananarivians (73%) have already heard about renewable energy. And 83% of them are not very far from their definition. Renewable energies come from inexhaustible natural sources.
There are still 4% of the citizens of the City of Thousand who are in the wrong. They believe it is energy produced in factories. If the concept is still new for the 1% of them, the rest (12%) are completely unaware of what the subject is about.
By digging further, we realized that in Madagascar, we still know the different renewable energies, or almost. See for yourself:
- Solar energy: 38%
- hydraulic energy: 37%
- wind energy: 19%
- geothermal energy: 4%
- biomass: 2%
The public sector consumes the most energy in Madagascar
In any sector of activity, most billings from Tananarivians are skyrocketing. According to the city’s citizens, public buildings consume more energy at 44% than private homes or dwellings (32%) and industries (24%).
Today, the option of renewable energy is a possibility for Antananarivo and all of Madagascar. Of course, the renunciation of “traditional” energies is still inconceivable for the citizens, but thanks to the intervention of various organizations and associations in this field, the inhabitants of the capital are slowly moving towards renewable energies.
The best option against load shedding
For the past few years, repeated power cuts have been part of the daily life of the citizens of Antananarivo. According to the 76% of people surveyed, the use of renewable energy would be a good alternative. They opt for the preservation of the environment. However, reducing electricity consumption is another solution (14%) on Antananarivo and its outskirts. Engaging in one of these two options can largely contribute to reducing the cost of living.
Today, only a few Tananarivians still choose to exploit unconventional oil (6%) or coal (4%). Indeed, with the several anti-pollution awareness campaigns in Antananarivo, these two means are less and less used by the citizens.
The people of Tananarivo favour hydraulic and solar energy
As a result of our investigations and compared to fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil), renewable energies are still under-exploited in our country. Even if they are not aware of it, the inhabitants of the capital use it directly and indirectly. According to the respondents, today, hydraulic and solar energy are the most used in Antananarivo in terms of natural resources. You can see it on the downloadable computer graphics above:
- hydraulic energy: 75%
- solar energy: 23%
- wind energy: 1%
- geothermal energy: 1%
- Biomass: less than 1%
Antananarivo hesitates between fossil and renewable energies
In any case, according to the results of our surveys, the population of Antananarivo seems to be divided on the use of renewable energy in their daily lives. A little less than half of the capital’s inhabitants feel concerned about the subject. In fact, 46% of those surveyed support the use of these different natural energy sources, while 30% pay little or no attention to it. And they believe that JIRAMA is still trustworthy. On the other hand, less than a third (23%) prefer to remain neutral by responding vaguely.
Up to now, Tananarivians are hesitant about the possibility of investing in the new renewable energy. On the one hand, 54% of the citizens are not ready to take the risk of using renewable energies at home. But on the other hand, 46% are confident in this alternative.
For the latter, even though hydropower is currently the most widely used, almost all those who agree (90%) tend to favour an investment in solar energy. Wind power (4%) and hydropower (3%), in second and third place, are far behind. So are geothermal energy and biomass, each with 1%.
To conclude this survey on renewable energies in Antananarivo
From a personal point of view, even if renewable energies have only appeared on the Big Island a few years ago, Tananarivians already know the basics. I find that even the minimum commitment to the exploitation of natural resources is a good start for Madagascar. Renewable energies have several advantages over fossil fuels, economically, socially and also in terms of health.
More than half of Antananarivo (54%) considers that the Malagasy state participates financially in the equipment and installation of the various structures. However, these resources that can be used in Malagasy society are still under-exploited. Perhaps this is why the 45% of those surveyed believe that the local authorities are not investing in the exploitation of renewable energies. In any case, the abundant resources available in Madagascar are just waiting to be exploited.
