Cape Town\u2019s rooftop solar boom is at record levels, with August 2023 seeing the highest-ever solar PV installation applications in the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 1,500 small-scale embedded generation applications were received in August 2023, a 50% increase compared to July, the previous record-holding month at around 1,000 applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This comes as more Capetonians are installing solar PV and battery systems to avoid Eskom’s load-shedding and to take advantage of forthcoming city incentives to pay cash for power generated by residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Each new month has broken the solar PV applications record for four months straight since May 2023, with over 100 MW and counting of installed capacity in Cape Town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are determined to make it more viable for households to go solar, with a cheaper AMI meter option to be rolled out early in the new year, alongside Cape Town\u2019s cash-for-power incentives for households and businesses to sell their excess power to the city,” said Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Application numbers are also expected to increase further in the coming months, as turnaround times will be drastically reduced from 1 October 2023, when all SSEG systems will need a city-approved inverter and professional sign-off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city\u2019s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, councillor Beverley van Reenen, added that Cape Town is moving toward a future grid for all \u2013 where customers use and generate electricity as part of an integrated network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This is the exciting future of the changing energy environment internationally and also in our own backyard. We have been sending the signal for a few months now that from 1 October 2023, only SSEG systems using city-approved inverters with professional sign-off will be authorised, and all systems will be regarded as grid-tied,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is because the city has noted an increase in fly-by-night operators offering systems of inferior quality or not wired correctly, a practice contributing to extended outages when power returns after load-shedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The city-approved strategy will dramatically improve the authorisation turnaround time, improve safety, prevent the risk of area outages due to inferior systems connected to the grid and help to protect our homeowners from the many fly-by-night operators out there,” she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city thanked those in the industry who are already driving safe and legal systems and added that its teams are available to assist all stakeholders in this transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n