- Social media posts are doing the rounds supposedly from ward councillors stating that the City of Joburg would no longer install prepaid meters for households and businesses that have installed solar power.
- City Power says the posts are misinformation and lies and there are clear rules.
Households and businesses are required to register their solar PV systems with City Power. “As a part of a move towards promoting renewable energy, City Power has streamlined the process for the Small Scale Embedded Energy (SSEG) application, designed to facilitate the installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems for customers,” the utility said.
“As the implementing agent, we are committed to ensuring that all installations comply with safety and regulatory standards.” The utility added that customers who wish to install solar need to obtain a notification number from the City of Joburg by completing an electricity supply application form.
Following this, a site inspection will be arranged, and once that is done, the installation will be added to the city’s database.
The application process requires the submission of several key documents, including:
- A fully completed Electricity Supply Form;
- A Single Line Diagram;
- Inverter Datasheet;
- Inverter NRS Certificate;
- Design/Drawings;
- Site Plan/Layout;
- Maintenance Procedure;
- PV Commissioning Form; and
- Certificate of Compliance.
- In addition to this, for systems exceeding 350kVA, a Grid Impact Study is mandatory and must receive approval from the Planning Evaluation Committee (PEC).
“This ensures that all installations are not only efficient, but also safe for integration into the existing grid,” it said.
For larger installations, the following cost estimate fees are applicable for a study, based on Maximum Export Capacity:
Source: City Power
Once the installation is complete, the system has to undergo testing and commissioning. Following a successful review, City Power will issue a pre-approval letter, leading to the final approval letter.
“It is essential to note that customers will be notified when City Power is ready to facilitate backfeeding, should they express interest,” it said
Addtional costs
Customers will be expected to install the correct meter at their own expense, as well as cover the fee for the Grid Assessment impact study, if needed. Customers will also be converted to post-paid and charged the relevant service fees.
“To facilitate the measurement of both electricity import and export, a smart/bi-directional meter will be installed at the customer’s expense. This means that those seeking to install solar will be converted to post-paid to enable City Power to monitor consumption and ensure that they contribute towards network service fees like all other customers,” it said.
“Each connection must be declared and approved by City Power, and any new amendments will be reviewed in accordance with the SSEG policy,” City Power concluded.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
