{"id":812211,"date":"2025-02-17T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=812211"},"modified":"2025-05-26T16:22:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T14:22:49","slug":"important-announcement-for-households-with-rooftop-solar-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/energy\/812211\/important-announcement-for-households-with-rooftop-solar-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Important announcement for households with rooftop solar in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nersa has approved rules for so-called “net billing”, which will see South Africa compensate renewable energy users, including households with rooftop solar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nearsa) approved the long-awaited net-billing framework in December 2024, which allows businesses and households to receive credits for exporting excess electricity to the grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under net billing, electricity generated from renewable energy sources, such as rooftop solar, can be fed back into the grid when there is a surplus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The net-billing scheme’s eligibility includes, but is not limited to, facilities for the production of energy that use solar, wind, water, geothermal, biomass, biogas, biofuel, or renewable fuel cell resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Nersa, instead of receiving direct payments for the energy exported, customers get credits applied to their electricity bills, reducing future costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These credits are calculated using an export tariff approved by Nersa. Essentially, the grid acts as a \u201cvirtual battery,\u201d storing excess power that can offset future consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The introduction of net billing comes at a time when consumers are feeling the squeeze of rising electricity costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nersa recently approved a 12.7% electricity tariff hike for Eskom for the 2025\/26 financial year, adding to the financial burden on households.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many have already turned to solar to mitigate these costs, with South Africa importing a record R17.5 billion worth of solar panels last year following the worst year of load shedding in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the new rules in place, those interested in feeding excess power into the grid must apply through Eskom or their local municipality to ensure compliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This step is crucial for accessing export credits and integrating smoothly into the evolving energy landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all sunshine for households with solar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, while the introduction of net billing is a welcome development, not everything is sunny skies for households with solar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, Eskom has issued a stark warning to those with grid-tied rooftop solar installations to ensure their systems comply with regulations or face penalties after March 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power utility has emphasized that all small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) installations up to 50kW\u2014including typical household solar setups of 5 to 10kW\u2014must be registered with Eskom or Nersa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Households that register their systems before March 2026 could qualify for exemptions from costly registration-related fees, including application, tariff conversion, and connection charges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eskom argues that the increasing number of solar systems feeding energy into the grid presents safety and performance challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring compliance is necessary to protect the grid\u2019s stability and the safety of workers maintaining it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This stance has sparked controversy, as critics argue that not all rooftop solar systems should be classified as SSEGs\u2014especially those that do not feed electricity back into the grid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some setups function like standalone generators, meaning they operate independently of Eskom\u2019s supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Eskom maintains that any system running alongside its supply must be registered, regardless of whether it exports power or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The net-billing system and the looming compliance deadline create a mixed picture for South Africans with solar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the one hand, the ability to offset electricity costs through export credits is an incentive for more households to invest in solar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other, the requirement to register and potentially pay additional fees down the line may deter some from adopting grid-tied systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another solar boom <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite these concerns, the new rules are expected to drive another wave of solar adoption as households seek energy security and relief from Eskom\u2019s steep tariffs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With load shedding still a reality and electricity prices rising, solar power remains an attractive long-term investment for many South Africans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the country transitions toward a more decentralised energy model, the net-billing framework marks a step forward in rewarding consumers who contribute to energy stability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the challenge will be ensuring that compliance measures do not place undue financial strain on households, potentially discouraging further investment in renewable energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, South African households with rooftop solar can take advantage of the new net-billing framework to reduce their electricity bills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they should also be mindful of Eskom\u2019s compliance requirements and plan accordingly before the March 2026 deadline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future of solar power in the country looks bright, but navigating the regulatory landscape will be key to maximising its benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nersa has published its new rules for so-called net billing public comment, which will see South Africa compensate renewable energy users.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":684727,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9874],"tags":[1164,20623,19878,853],"class_list":["post-812211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","tag-eskom","tag-national-energy-regulator-of-south-africa-nersa","tag-rooftop-solar","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812211"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812211\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":825655,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812211\/revisions\/825655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/684727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}