The profusion of rooftop photo voltaic panels throughout SA is starting to have an effect on the severity and frequency of load shedding.
It’s estimated that personal sector electrical energy era will outstrip that of Eskom by 2025. Stats from Eskom present the nation had greater than 5 000 megawatts (MW) of put in rooftop photo voltaic on the finish of November, greater than double when in comparison with a 12 months in the past.
We additionally know from authorities stats, in addition to importers like Bidvest, that battery, photo voltaic and inverter imports are booming as companies and residences race to free themselves from Eskom’s creaky grid. Imports in solar-related tools within the first half of 2023 have been equal to your entire worth of imports for 2022.
This, nevertheless, doesn’t mirror the potential for photo voltaic to assist resolve SA’s power disaster.
Potential
A calculation by Marc du Plessis, head of LookSee, Commonplace Financial institution’s residence effectivity platform, and searching simply on the variety of Commonplace Financial institution residence loans of greater than 400 000 freestanding properties, suggests this has the potential to generate 1.8 gigawatts (GW), equal to a Koeberg energy plant or to 2 phases of load shedding.
The calculation assumes a median roof dimension of 183.16m², 25% of which is usable for rooftop photo voltaic panels.
“If you happen to extrapolate this throughout your entire nation, you get a way of what rooftop photo voltaic can do for the nation’s power disaster,” says Du Plessis.
“We’re already seeing large uptake in rooftop photo voltaic methods from folks making an attempt to free themselves from load shedding. Aside from serving to ease the burden on the nation’s electrical energy grid, it has a helpful affect on carbon emissions.
“South Africa has large photo voltaic potential,” he provides.
“Take the Karoo, for instance. It has nice sunshine all year long, however there is no such thing as a entry to the grid. KwaZulu-Natal has good photo voltaic potential, inferior to the Karoo, however it does have grid entry.
“To actually get the good thing about SA’s photo voltaic potential, we would want to see a considerable improve within the grid, which isn’t prone to occur within the instant future. This is able to make it simpler for Eskom and native municipalities to purchase surplus energy from these photo voltaic panels, however in the mean time this isn’t a serious purpose for folks shopping for photo voltaic methods.
“The principle purpose is to cut back reliance on an unstable grid and keep away from load shedding.”
| Photo voltaic rooftop potential of Commonplace Financial institution’s residence mortgage e-book | |
| Variety of standalone properties | 400 000+ |
| Estimated complete roof house | 73 265 096m² |
| Estimated common space per roof | 183.16m² |
| Usable roof house for photo voltaic; conservative estimate at 25% | 45.79m² |
| Roof house required for eight 550W panels | 20m² |
| Complete variety of panels (eight panels every on 400 000 properties) | 3 200 000 |
| Photo voltaic panel potential (kilowatt peak) | 0.55kW |
| Complete producing potential (kilowatt peak) | 1 760 000kW |
| Complete producing potential (megawatt peak) | 1 760MW |
| Complete producing potential (gigawatt peak) | 1.8GW |
| This is the same as: | |
| 1. Virtually two phases of load shedding | |
| 2. Koeberg energy station ( 1 940MW most) | |
Supply: LookSee
Not like many different international locations, most South Africans are unable to promote surplus energy generated from these photo voltaic panels again to the grid, although qualifying residents in Cape City can promote energy again to town for R1.24 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). For that, they should buy bi-directional meters that permit electrical energy to movement to and from the grid.
Tshwane has additionally introduced a plan permitting residents to use to promote surplus energy again to town.
Beneath a brand new scheme launched within the 2023 Finances, South Africans can declare a 25% rebate on the price of photo voltaic panels solely, as much as a most of R15 000.
Many different international locations have much more beneficiant incentives for funding in photo voltaic methods. South Australia, for instance, has greater than two gigawatts of photo voltaic producing capability, with about one in three households sporting photo voltaic panels. This accounted for over 20% of the state’s electrical energy era in 2021. The common 6.6kW photo voltaic system in South Australia enjoys a subsidy of roughly A$2 600 (R32 300).
LookSee’s Photo voltaic Mortgage scheme
LookSee’s lately launched Photo voltaic Mortgage scheme is designed to attraction to the wants of most energy shoppers: mortgage sizes vary from as little as R3 000 as much as R300 000, with rates of interest capped at a most of prime plus 2.5%. It is a substantial low cost on the prime plus 7% provided on private loans, or the utmost prime plus 17.5% mandated by the Nationwide Credit score Act.
The Photo voltaic Mortgage scheme permits households to benefit from the federal government’s residence photo voltaic tax incentive, introduced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana within the 2023 Finances speech.
These looking for to benefit from this should act earlier than 29 February 2024. The tax rebate permits people to say 25% of the price of photo voltaic panels, as much as a most of R15 000. The rebate doesn’t apply to batteries, inverters, transportable photo voltaic panels, fittings, diesel turbines or set up prices.
For extra info, click on right here.
Delivered to you by LookSee.
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