| Going solar | <h2 class="sectHeading">Safer, faster solar PV approval</h2><p> <strong>In an effort to make SSEG approvals faster and safer, from 1 October 2023 all SSEG applications to the City will be treated as grid-tied systems.</strong> </p><p>This means that all systems need a City-approved inverter and professional sign off.
<br><br>Currently, many systems using non-approved inverters are not correctly wired, posing risks to the safety and integrity of the network and significantly slowing down the registration process. An approved inverter means quicker authorisation.</p><h4>The following do not require authorisation:<br></h4><ul><li>Solar Water Heaters (thermal) </li><li>Solar security/garden lights </li><li>Portable UPS trolley inverters (that you plug into the wall socket)</li></ul>
<h2 class="sectHeading">Solar water heating options for the home<br></h2><p>Switching to a more efficient water heating system will help you save money on your electricity bill.</p><h4>Solar water heaters</h4><p>Solar water heaters are a set of pipes that are placed on the roof of your home. Heat from the sun warms water that can then be used throughout your home for all your hot water needs.</p><h4>Heat pumps</h4><p>Heat pumps use a small amount of electricity to power a pump. The pump acts as an air conditioner in reverse, moving heat from the air into the hot water geyser.</p><p>Heat pumps are a good option for homes and flats that do not get a lot of direct sunshine or do not have enough space or the right construction to support a solar water heater.</p><h4>Solar PV water heaters</h4><p>Solar photovoltaic (PV) water heaters use PV panels to generate electricity from the sun to heat water via an electrical element. The water can then be used throughout your home for all your hot water needs.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">On-site electricity generation</h2>
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<i class="info toptip"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Solar PV Installer Newsflash<br></h4><p>If you are a Solar PV Installer, and would like to receive more information on Small-scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) from the City, you can
<a href="https://cityofcapetown.evlink19.net/public/forms/h/ac0651KQexIkjg3a/OTY5NDNmYWFiYjc0N2VhYTU5NTZlOGY2MGE4NTdmMmMxZjJkYzVhMQ==" target="_blank">subscribe to our Solar PV Installer Newsflash</a> to stay up-to-date with the latest information.</p></div></div></span>
<h4> Solar Photovoltaic (PV): Embedded Generation (EG)</h4><p>Solar PV technology converts energy from the sun to electricity, which can be used in buildings of all sizes. Investing in solar PV can help reduce the amount of electricity that is bought from the City.</p><p>Solar PV is one form of Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG). SSEG refers to systems generating less than 1MVA that are connected to the City's electricity grid. EG refers to systems with a generation capacity of more than 1 MVA and less than 100 MVA.</p><p>Solar PV is suitable for any place where there is a good solar resource and electricity is already used including residential, commercial and industrial areas. </p><p>All solar PV systems installed within the City of Cape Town electricity supply area must be
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/Municipal-services/Electricity/apply-for-authorisation-to-install-a-small-scale-embedded-generation-system">registered for authorisation</a>.<br></p>
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<i class="info note"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Find out more<br></h4><p>Guidelines for
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT-Energy-PV-Brochure.pdf" target="_blank">safe and legal rooftop solar PV installations in Cape Town</a>.</p></div></div></span><span>
<h2 class="sectHeading">Choosing a solar PV system</h2></span>
<p>There are a number of solar PV configurations:</p><h4>Grid-tied systems<br></h4><p>These are connected to the City's electricity grid either directly or through your property's internal wiring. There are two types of grid-tied systems.</p><ul><li>
<strong>Grid-tied feed-in </strong>
<strong>system </strong>(also known as an EG with export option): the electricity generated by the PV system is used on the property. Excess electricity generated from the system is fed back into the electricity grid - you may receive credit from the City.</li><li>
<strong>Grid-</strong><strong>tied non-feed-in PV </strong>(also known as an EG with no export option, with reverse power flow blocking): the electricity generated by the PV system is used on the property only when there is a demand for it. Excess electricity generated is blocked from feeding back into the grid.</li></ul><h4>Grid-tied hybrid systems</h4><p>Grid-tied systems that island after interruption of the distributor supply or when the applicable electrical service conditions are outside stated limits or out of required tolerances and then supplies the load from the inverter, operating in the stored-energy mode via a suitably interlocked change-over switch.</p>
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<i class="info note"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p> From October 2023, off-grid or standalone SSEG systems and passive standy UPS utilised as standby hybrid systems (see below) will
<strong style="text-decoration:underline;">no longer be authorised</strong> due to the risks they pose and the time required to approve.<br></p></div></div></span>
<h4>Off-grid or standalone SSEG systems<br></h4><p>These systems have no connection to the grid. They are physically separated and electrically isolated from the grid. An example would be connecting a pool pump directly to a solar PV system instead of connecting it to the building's wiring. </p><p>Off-grid systems must also be registered with the City to ensure they are not mistaken for grid-tied systems. See the
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT-Energy-PV-Brochure.pdf" target="_blank">Rooftop Solar PV Guidelines for Safe and Legal Installations in Cape Town</a> for more information about different kinds of PV systems.</p><h4>Passive standy UPS utilised as standby hybrid system</h4><p>Applies to any UPS operation according to the following principle: </p><ul><li>The normal mode of operation consists of supplying the load from the grid</li><li>When the grid is outside stated limits, the load is supplied from the UPS inverter, operating in stored energy mode</li></ul><p>Such a system will only be regarded as standby provided that it is equipped with a suitably interlocked change-over switch.</p>
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<i class="info fastfact"></i></div><div class="desc"><h4>Find out more</h4><p>Our
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures%2c%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Load-shedding%20Resilience%20Guide.pdf" target="_blank">Load-shedding Resilience Guide </a>offers easy and affordable ways to protect your home from load-shedding. You can also find answers to
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures%2c%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/SSEG_FAQs.pdf" target="_blank">SSEG FAQs</a>.<br></p></div></div></span>
<h2 class="sectHeading">Register your solar PV system</h2><p>All solar PV systems installed within the City's electricity supply area must be authorised by us.</p><h4>See our useful guideline documents below:<br></h4><ul><li>
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures%2c%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Requirements%20for%20Small-Scale%20Embedded%20Generation.pdf" target="_blank">Requirements for Small-scale Embedded Generation</a></li><li>
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT-Energy-PV-Brochure.pdf" target="_blank">Guidelines for Safe and Legal PV installation in Cape Town</a></li></ul><p>Registration is legally required in terms of the
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Bylaws%20and%20policies/Electricity%20Supply%20By-law.pdf" target="_blank">City of Cape Town Electricity Supply By-Law, 2010 </a>and ensures the safety of anyone who comes into contact with the PV system or the grid itself.</p><p>Registration also makes sure that all those who are using electricity from the grid pay for their usage accordingly. Running your meter backwards or avoiding paying your share of the grid upkeep is illegal and puts greater strain on the rest of the city.</p>
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<i class="info citycard"></i></div><div class="desc"><h4>City Connect</h4><p>
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/Municipal-services/Electricity/apply-for-authorisation-to-install-a-small-scale-embedded-generation-system">Apply for authorisation to install an embedded generation system</a></p></div></div></span>
<h4> An unauthorised PV system can:</h4><ul><li>Increase the risk of fire and other hazards</li><li>Result in injury or death, especially if it is still feeding onto the grid during a power outage. The property owner will be at risk of legal recourse under Occupational Health and Safety laws.</li><li>Cause quality and sustainability problems with the electricity grid, specifically from unknown capacity and schedules of all generation on the network. This information is needed in order to maintain the balance of load and electricity quality. </li></ul><p>Properties with unregistered SSEG will be issued a contravention notice, be liable for a service fee and instructed to:</p><ul><li>Disconnect the SSEG within five working days; </li><li>Provide a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) as proof </li><li> Register the SSEG within one month and conclude the authorisation process within three months</li></ul><p>Failure to comply could result in the disconnection of the electricity supply to the property.</p>
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<h2 class="sectHeading">How do I sell my excess energy back to the City?</h2></span>
<p>Most of the electricity generated by a grid-tied feed-in system is consumed onsite. Sometimes, more electricity is generated than consumed, and the City allows customers to feed excess generation back into the City’s grid through the
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Financial%20documents/Electricity%20Consumptive%20Tariffs.pdf" target="_blank">SSEG Feed-in tariff</a>. <br></p><p>There was previously a requirement for all SSEG customers to remain net generators (i.e. buy more electricity from the network than they fed in), however, this restriction was recently lifted and the City can procure excess generation under the Cash for Power programme. This programme is currently only available to Commercial customers, and will be rolled out to Residential customers later in 2023.
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<strong>If you would like to feed in excess electricity to the City’s network, follow the steps below:</strong><br></p><div class="mobile-scroll"><table style="width:600px;height:1078px;"><thead><tr><th style="width:26px;">
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</th><th style="width:166px;">Commercial customers<br></th><th style="width:178px;">Residential customers<br></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" style="width:26px;">
<strong>Step </strong><strong>1</strong><br></td><td rowspan="1" style="width:166px;">Install a
<strong>grid-tied solar PV system</strong> with a <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Forms%2c%20notices%2c%20tariffs%20and%20lists/Approved%20Photovoltaic%20%28PV%29%20Inverter%20List.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>City-approved invertor</strong></a>. Installers must
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/Municipal-services/Electricity/apply-for-authorisation-to-install-a-small-scale-embedded-generation-system">
<strong>apply to the City to authorise</strong></a> the system for grid connection before it is installed. <br></td><td rowspan="1" style="width:178px;"> Install a
<strong>grid-tied solar PV system</strong> with a <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Forms%2c%20notices%2c%20tariffs%20and%20lists/Approved%20Photovoltaic%20%28PV%29%20Inverter%20List.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>City-approved invertor</strong></a>. Installers must
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/Municipal-services/Electricity/apply-for-authorisation-to-install-a-small-scale-embedded-generation-system">
<strong>apply to the City to authorise</strong></a> the system for grid connection before it is installed.
<br></td></tr><tr><td style="width:26px;">
<strong>Step 2</strong><br></td><td style="width:166px;">Meter changes and an additional
<strong>AMI Access fee</strong> may be applicable. Cost is quoted during authorisation process if applicable.<br></td><td style="width:178px;">City will install an
<strong>AMI meter </strong>at the relevant
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Meet-the-City/the-city-budget/city-wide-tariffs"><strong>SSEG Feed-in Tariff rate</strong></a>.<br></td></tr><tr><td style="width:26px;">
<strong>Step 3</strong><br></td><td style="width:166px;">Customer placed on the applicable
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/residential-utility-services/residential-electricity-services/the-cost-of-electricity#section-docs"><strong>Non-residential SSEG tariff</strong></a>.</td><td style="width:178px;">Customer moves to or remains on the Home User tariff. In conjunction with the
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/residential-utility-services/residential-electricity-services/the-cost-of-electricity#section-docs">
<strong>Residential SSEG tariff</strong></a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="1" style="width:26px;height:226px;"><strong>Step </strong><strong>4</strong><br></td><td rowspan="1" style="width:166px;height:226px;">Electricity fed into the grid will be measured and credited to customer’s monthly municipal account at
<strong>73.87c/kWh + 25c/kWh</strong> incentive. This credit is offset against the customer’s monthly municipal account.<br></td><td rowspan="1" style="width:178px;height:226px;">Electricity fed into the grid will be measured and credited to customer’s monthly municipal account at
<strong>78.98c/kWh + 25c/kWh</strong> incentive. This credit is offset against the customer’s monthly municipal account.</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="1" style="width:26px;"><strong>Step</strong> <strong>5</strong><br></td><td rowspan="1" style="width:166px;">
<strong>Cash for Power</strong>: Customers with
<strong>remaining credit</strong> after the offset will be paid out in cash once the amount
<strong>exceeds R5000</strong>. Payments will be held back until the credit reaches this amount, and paid out on a monthly basis. </td><td rowspan="1" style="width:178px;"><strong>Cash for Power</strong>: Customers with
<strong>remaining credit </strong>after the offset will be paid out in cash once the amount
<strong>exceeds R1000</strong>. Payments will be held back until the credit reaches this amount, and paid out once a year.
<strong>This will be rolled out later in 2023</strong>. </td></tr><tr><td rowspan="1" style="width:26px;"><strong>Step </strong><strong>6</strong><br></td><td rowspan="1" style="width:166px;">To
<strong>register an SSEG installation</strong>, visit
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Residential-utility-services/Residential-electricity-services/Electricity-application-forms">
<strong>Application Forms</strong></a>, complete the form and submit via email to your relevant supply area head. <br></td><td rowspan="1" style="width:178px;">To
<strong>register an SSEG installation</strong>, visit
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Residential-utility-services/Residential-electricity-services/Electricity-application-forms">
<strong>Application Forms</strong></a>, complete the form and submit via email to your relevant supply area head.
<br></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<h4>Please note:</h4><ul><li>The City provides authorisation for grid-tied solar PV system installations free of charge, however, installers may charge a fee to complete this service on the customer’s behalf. </li><li>The amount of energy a customer can sell back to the City is limited by the size of the system they have been authorised to install, which is limited by the size of their connection to the City grid. </li><li>Cash for Power (step 5) is currently only available to commercial customers. To apply for the Cash for Power Programme, respond to the Expression of Interest advertised periodically or email <em><a href="mailto:hoosain.essop@capetown.gov.za">hoosain.essop@capetown.gov.za</a></em>.<br></li><li>We are currently looking at how to bring down the cost of AMIs for households. </li><li>The authorisation process can take 3-6 months, provided that all the relevant information is submitted. A streamlined online registration system is currently under development and seeks to dramatically improve the turnaround time for authorisation.<br></li></ul> | | GP0|#67d74054-d4d1-47e5-b8f8-e374af39aec0;L0|#067d74054-d4d1-47e5-b8f8-e374af39aec0|Going solar;GTSet|#ef3a64a2-d764-44bc-9d69-3a63d3fadea1;GPP|#0245199c-5be3-4af0-937a-b126a226207c;GPP|#39d66b11-2134-4df5-8360-0bc5e66e8f4f;GPP|#245ec7aa-a528-4cd3-bcac-597c292db711;GP0|#cd77e783-b852-4152-a52b-eab50f1da86d;L0|#0cd77e783-b852-4152-a52b-eab50f1da86d|Going solar;GPP|#ccd25ffb-04bd-465f-b4e4-e0a88d1cac35;GPP|#d6c1debf-2fe6-4caf-8748-a5126af00c53;GPP|#e88ff549-973f-4e3c-a46c-cfbe61bd6a24 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Improve overall energy efficiency in your home through solar energy such as water heaters, solar geysers and rooftop panels. | 0 |
