Eskom has extended its waiver on registration fees for qualifying rooftop solar installations connected directly to its grid. The waiver applies to customer-owned generation systems of up to 50kVA. Eligible customers can now register their installations for free until further notice. This move aims to support the growth of residential solar and greater customer participation in the energy transition.
The extension removes registration-related charges but does not change the requirement for qualifying grid-connected generation facilities to be registered. According to Junaid Munshi, Eskom Group Executive for Distribution, registration enables customer-owned generation to be safely and efficiently integrated into the shared network. This process lays the foundation for bidirectional smart metering, appropriate tariffs and credits, and future flexibility services.
The waiver is only applicable to customers supplied directly by Eskom. Those supplied by municipalities will need to check the requirements and charges set by their local electricity distributor. Eskom's review of 20 international markets found that customers with grid-connected solar systems are commonly required to notify, register or obtain approval from utilities, municipalities, regulators or network operators.
In South Africa, the requirement for registration is based on the Electricity Regulation Act of 2006, together with the applicable Exemption and Registration Notice. Installations of 100kW or less connected to the grid must be registered with the relevant licensed distributor, while systems above 100kW must be registered directly with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).
Off-grid systems with no connection to the electricity network are exempt from registration. Eskom also clarified that registration is separate from a Certificate of Compliance (CoC), which deals with electrical safety. Registration provides the distributor with information about the generation system, including its location, technology and capacity.
Eskom supports the growth of residential solar and greater customer participation in the energy transition, which has been reviewed to align with international best practice. The utility aims to integrate increasing levels of customer-owned generation into its networks while ensuring network safety, power quality and system planning.
The registration process is a standard feature of modern electricity systems. Eskom's decision to extend the waiver is expected to encourage more residential customers to register their rooftop solar systems without incurring additional costs. This move is part of Eskom's efforts to promote sustainable energy solutions and reduce the country's reliance on traditional energy sources.
Key points
- Eskom extends rooftop solar registration fee waiver for grid-connected systems
- Waiver applies to customer-owned generation systems of up to 50kVA connected directly to Eskom's grid
- Registration is required for grid-connected systems to ensure network safety and efficient integration
