Cape Town is basking in a solar revolution and it’s breaking records. August 2023 witnessed an unprecedented surge in solar photovoltaic (PV) installation applications, marking the highest ever recorded in the city.
More than 1 500 small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) applications flooded in, representing a remarkable 50% increase compared to the previous record held in July, with approximately 1 000 applications.
This surge reflects a growing trend among Capetonians to invest in solar PV and battery systems, not only to combat Eskom’s loadshedding but also to seize upcoming incentives offered by the City for excess power generation.
To streamline the authorisation process, the City is actively developing a user-friendly online application portal. Further improvements are anticipated as turnaround times are set to dramatically decrease starting from 1 October, 2023. On this date, all SSEG systems must feature a City-approved inverter and receive professional certification.
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The City will cease accepting applications for standby and off-grid systems post-October. However, pre-October authorisations and applications will remain valid and continue to be processed.
Additionally, all systems will be treated as grid-tied. This move aims to counter the rising presence of unreliable and improperly wired systems provided by subpar operators, which have contributed to prolonged outages during power restoration after loadshedding events.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed the City’s commitment to making solar adoption more accessible to households, including offering a more economical Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meter option in the early months of the upcoming year.
This will complement Cape Town’s ‘cash for power’ incentives, encouraging households and businesses to sell surplus energy back to the City.
Hill-Lewis further elaborated, ‘Enabling more rooftop solar forms part of our broader plans to add 1 GW of independent power from various sources to Cape Town’s grid over time. The first 650 MW is forecasted to come online by 2025/26 to protect against the first four stages of Eskom’s load-shedding.’
‘This will be achieved through a mix of Steenbras Hydro Plant, 500 MW of dispatchable energy, and demand management programs, including the forthcoming Power Heroes incentives for households to flatten peak usage.’
The City is diligently working on introducing an online application process to further facilitate the SSEG application process. For a detailed guide on navigating the SSEG application process, check out the City’s official checklist.
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Picture: City of Cape Town