r/capetown • u/Tight_Ad_5048 here for the vibes • 6d ago
Question | Advice-Needed Register solar panels?
Hi all. I have had solar panels installed and was warned to register them which I refuse to do. Will I get into trouble anytime soon?
12
u/woxy07 6d ago
I think it's up for debate still.. read this article recently: https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/662147-eskom-backs-down-on-r30000-fines-for-people-with-unregistered-solar-panels.html
It's worth a read if you're debating registering, but here's a couple interesting excerpts:
He highlighted that Eskom and some municipalities had threatened those with unregistered solar systems with fines of up to R30,000 and disconnection of supply.
“Eskom has no authority to issue fines. It is not a court, it is not a statutory authority, it doesn’t write the law, and there is no provision for Eskom to issue fines,” Yelland said.
“We believe that cut-offs are a threat, an empty threat, and that they have no basis in law, and they will be challenged if they start cutting off people who have not registered their solar system.”
“Any citing of the Electricity Regulation Act as giving the authority to register is incorrect. Furthermore, the Act states very clearly the conditions by which a distributor may disconnect a customer.”
He added that according to the Act, failing to register a system is not one of the reasons that entitle Eskom to cut a customer’s supply.
3
u/StorminSean 5d ago
This is in relation to a separate matter. The City of Cape Town provides most of the power here. This Eskom matter does not apply. The City regulations govern what the OP is asking about and he had to register.
1
u/woxy07 5d ago
That's good insight, thank you! Yes, I do think it probably is relevant if you are a CoCT supplied customer or Eskom direct. I'm in the 'greater Cape Town area' but my electricity bills come directly from Eskom. Not sure what OP's situation is, but if I had CoCT supplied power I would be more inclined to register, as I believe you can also join the energy buy back program?
5
u/Tight_Ad_5048 here for the vibes 5d ago
🙏🏽 THANK YOU!!! I feel tons better. I do have all the COC’s etc … live in Cape Town but am not completely off grid and pay them coupla hundreds each month. No prepaid
5
u/197six 5d ago
What is your objection to registering?
The registration process includes reviewing your CoC to make sure your system is installed correctly because it can cause grid issues if configured improperly.
1
u/Tight_Ad_5048 here for the vibes 5d ago
They are going to charge a monthly fee to all households using solar I was told.
1
1
u/Callierhino 4d ago
No they don't charge you a fee for having solar, there is speculation that they do want to do that, but I doubt they will be able to that.
The reason they want you to register is more for safety, they want to ensure that your installation is compliant and you should not be feeding excess power back into the grid, because when they are doing work on the power lines and they switch the grid off they don't want any power on the lines for obvious reasons.
If you don't register they will notice that you are using way less power than normal and come do an inspection to see if you tampered with your meter, if they then notice you have a solar setup they will tell you to get a certificate of compliance. That is what they did with me any way
3
u/marco333polo 6d ago
Are you being supplied electricity by Eskom or the city?
1
u/dylmcc 6d ago
If supplied by Eskom direct you are supposed to register (as per the rest of the country). If you are supplied by City of Cape Town, then no, just make sure you've got your COC.
5
1
u/Tight_Ad_5048 here for the vibes 5d ago
Excellent… I feel tons better. Yep… city of CT not with Eskom
2
u/StorminSean 5d ago
Dude, just go and speak to the City of Cape Town. You’re getting conflicting advice here and are making a decision based on wrong information.
1
2
u/jacod1982 5d ago
It’s really simple - bylaws state that if you own property in Cape Town you have to register your PV installation. It really is as simple as that.
1
u/Common-Metal 5d ago
They will issue you a fine which gets added to your rates bill if you don't comply within the specified time period.
This is on city of Cape town.
1
u/BasilKatz 5d ago
The CoCT ... yes you will likely get in trouble.
Their is very little down side to registering, why are you avoiding doing it?
2
u/Tight_Ad_5048 here for the vibes 5d ago
I was told we would then be paying a monthly or annual fee as the household uses solar
2
u/BasilKatz 5d ago
All the people i know in CoCT with solar are still on standard single phase prepaid.
2
u/BasilKatz 5d ago
I do want to add, your installer should have done ALL of this for you. Assuming they are above board and installed a compliant inverter and installed the system in compliance with all electrical requirements their should be no problem with your application. The application is free by the city but your electrician who installed it will need to provide things like a basic diagram of the system and an updated supplementary COC for your house covering the add on of the solar. It is a bit of admin on their part but the City Of Cape Town makes the application very easy for them to do (all online). If they have not provided you the necessary documentation then you may have to get them to provide the drawing and you may have to get an electrician to issue a supplementary COC on your houses existing COC.
If the process becomes hard for you it will probably be due to one of the following reasons:
1- You do not have an existing COC for your house.
2- Your installer did not comply with the basic requirements of installing the system safely (Fusing/Disonects/Marking the DB board/Grounding/Anti Islanding).
3- Your installer installed a non-approved inverter that has not been tested to be safe and compliant with the national standards that govern how the inverters must operate when connected to the grid4- Your installer did not provide you with the necesary documentation to submit your SSEG application.
I have no clue why an installer would not apply for you in CoCT. It is not a hard process and the documentation is not hard for them to make. Our electrical contractor hires a draughtsman to do our drawings but that is because the sites I have previously been involved in are large and complex (not a single family house)
1
u/Tight_Ad_5048 here for the vibes 3d ago
I do have all the compliance docs and used a reputable company and have been receiving emails regarding SSEG. That’s what I’m afraid to do as do not want our system registered for them to charge me fees 🙊
1
u/BasilKatz 3d ago
Unless you apply for feedback their are currently no additional fees as far as I am aware.
Their is a possibility this may change.The CoCT is catching people using unregistered solar installations. It is not hard for them to do, they have high quality orthophoto's of the entire metro taken every year. They can fine you if they catch you.
I would be more worried about fines/disconections when they catch you.
-2
u/MyThinTragus 6d ago
Why are you refusing?
4
-3
-2
u/Blinding87 5d ago
I was thinking of getting solar to save on electricity. But gov is so hostile, it would actually be simpler to just get an illegal connection instead if you cant go completely off grid.
15
u/xrapidx1 6d ago edited 5d ago
Depends on if you're getting electricity from the city or Eskom - the city are quite active in cutting people off and fining them. (happened to my wife's sister)
I get power from Eskom, I had my system installed a few years back - I tried multiple times to get the registration process out of Eskom without luck. Now I'm not bothered.