{"id":857795,"date":"2026-04-21T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=857795"},"modified":"2026-04-21T08:37:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T06:37:57","slug":"more-pain-for-people-wanting-to-install-rooftop-solar-at-home-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/energy\/857795\/more-pain-for-people-wanting-to-install-rooftop-solar-at-home-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"More pain for people wanting to install rooftop solar at home in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Johannesburg\u2019s City Power has introduced a six-step application process for Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) installations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has slammed the new rules, noting that the process adds unnecessary costs, delays, and confusion for residents trying to secure reliable power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

City Power has introduced a revised six-step application process for Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG), which applies to residents and businesses wanting to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The utility said the changes are intended to streamline approvals and ensure compliance with municipal regulations, stressing that no solar installation can legally proceed without prior authorisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the new rules, applicants must first obtain an electricity supply application notification number, then submit a formal Solar PV application. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is followed by a site inspection conducted by City Power before installation can begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once the system is installed, customers must then submit a Certificate of Compliance along with a PV commissioning form, after which they must await both pre-approval and final approval letters from the utility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While City Power maintains that the process will improve oversight and safety, OUTA argues that it will have the opposite effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OUTA believes the process discourages investment in rooftop solar at a time when many South Africans are turning to alternative energy out of necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said households and businesses are increasingly installing solar systems in response to an unreliable electricity supply and rising tariffs, not as a luxury upgrade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation said the additional steps, which require approvals and inspections both before and after installation, introduce unnecessary costs, delays, and administrative complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to OUTA, these requirements go beyond what is reasonable, particularly when installations are already carried out by qualified electricians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These electricians are backed by a valid Certificate of Compliance that meets national safety standards. In such cases, it argued, further municipal processes add little practical value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Causing confusion and making it harder for South Africans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAuthorities should stop imposing processes that place unnecessary burdens on society,\u201d said Wayne Duvenage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSouth Africans are investing their own money, within national safety compliance regulations, to keep the lights on. Adding layers of red tape only makes this harder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of existing systems, noting that many SSEG registration applications previously submitted to City Power have reportedly gone unprocessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OUTA said this calls into question whether the expanded requirements will be implemented efficiently\u2014or simply create further bottlenecks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking outside of Johannesburg, OUTA warned that a lack of alignment between municipalities is adding to the confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different rules and processes across the country are making it harder for consumers and installers to navigate the regulatory landscape, undermining confidence in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group called for a more practical and consistent approach nationwide, and urged municipalities to recognise valid compliance documentation and focus on essential safety requirements rather than excessive administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has appealed to stakeholders, including Eskom and the City of Cape Town, to reconsider their approaches and reduce unnecessary barriers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OUTA has slammed one of South Africa’s major metros’ new six-step application process for Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) installations.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":857796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9874],"tags":[1988,8540,853],"class_list":["post-857795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","tag-outa","tag-solar","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857795","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=857795"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":857809,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857795\/revisions\/857809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}