Homeowners and businesses with grid-tied solar installations must register their systems with Eskom by March 2026 or face penalties, including possible disconnection.
The power utility has intensified efforts to enforce compliance, warning that unregistered systems may be deemed illegal, as Daily Investor reports.
Energy expert Professor Vally Padayachee has confirmed that even registered solar users could soon face additional surcharges to help maintain the national grid infrastructure. Eskom argues that these measures are necessary to ensure grid stability, safety and fair cost distribution among all electricity consumers.
Mandatory registration and rising costs
Eskom’s Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) programme requires all solar installations, whether feeding power back into the grid or not, to be officially documented. The utility has launched a campaign to encourage registrations before the 2026 deadline, emphasising that failure to comply could result in fines or forced disconnection.
Padayachee told eNCA that surcharges for solar users are inevitable. ‘There will be a payment, and it will be for the upkeep of the grid and maintenance of distribution infrastructure by Eskom and municipalities,’ he said.
The exact costs will vary by region, depending on local infrastructure needs.
Eskom’s proposed Retail Tariff Plan includes significant increases in fixed daily network charges, meaning solar users may pay higher fees regardless of electricity consumption. This shift aims to prevent partial grid users from benefiting from infrastructure they don’t fully fund.
Why compliance matters
Eskom insists that registration is not just bureaucratic; it’s critical for grid safety and stability. Unregulated solar connections can overload local networks, endanger technicians, and disrupt the power supply. The utility must also track energy flows as more households and businesses adopt solar, altering traditional electricity distribution models.
‘If you want to use the grid, Eskom and municipalities will want to know who is connecting so it can be properly managed,’ Padayachee explained. Even small-scale solar inputs can impact grid performance beyond their immediate connection points, necessitating upgrades and maintenance.
Eskom CFO Calib Cassim has been vocal about ensuring fairness. He argues that users who rely on the grid as a backup, effectively treating it like a battery, should contribute to its upkeep. ‘If you are going to use Eskom on a partial basis, there needs to be a cost for tapping into the grid,’ Cassim said. ‘Otherwise, full-time users will bear the entire infrastructure burden.’
Eskom’s push for solar registration reflects broader challenges in South Africa’s energy transition. While renewable adoption is growing, the grid, built for centralised power distribution, must adapt to decentralised generation.
For now, solar users must comply or risk penalties.
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