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New solar customers will be forced to switch to postpaid accounts and install a two-way smart meter monitored by City Power.
City Power is calling on residents to ensure their solar installations comply with regulations.
The entity came under criticism after some ward councilors in the Johannesburg metro suggested residents would face exorbitant fees and possible disconnection from their solar installations.
City Power has claimed that this is not the case, but stated that compliance with their bylaws is mandatory and that all solar installations must be declared and approved.
R30,000 application fee
All installations of photovoltaic systems are now subject to a small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) application made via City Power.
The move is aimed at safety and ‘promoting a sustainable energy future’, City Power explains The citizen that the pursuit of processing times for applications was an “ongoing process”.
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Applications are subject to a fee determined on a sliding scale based on the megavolt-ampere (MVA).
The lowest threshold is 0 to 1MVA and comes with an application fee of R30,000 excluding VAT.
According to Daelim Electric1 MVA generator can be used to power data centers, factories, wind farms and other industrial activities, which suggests that all residential properties would fall under the first threshold.
The costs for applying for City Power solar panels are based on the maximum export capacity. Image: City Power
Network service fees apply
New solar installations will also be forced onto post-paid accounts, subjecting solar users to network service charges and access to smart meters.
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“To facilitate metering of both import and export of electricity, a smart/bi-directional meter will be installed at the customer’s expense,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
Apply for solar energy step by step via City Power:
- Residents must complete an application form for electricity supply through the municipality. They will receive a notification number that connects them to City Power’s SSEG department.
- Residents must then submit their solar energy application form to [email protected]
- City Power will arrange a site inspection and once completed the resident will be added to City Power’s database.
- Installation will be carried out, followed by testing and commissioning.
- Residents must then submit their Certificate of Compliance (CoC) and PV Commissioning Form to City Power.
- City Power will verify these documents before issuing a pre-approval letter, followed by a final approval letter.
Documents required for the application
City Power outlined the key documents required for the solar application:
- A fully completed electricity supply form
- A single-line diagram
- Inverter data sheet
- Inverter NRS certificate
- Design/drawings
- Site plan/layout
- Maintenance procedure
- PV commissioning form
- Certificate of Conformity
- For systems over 350 kVA, a grid impact study is mandatory and must be approved by the Planning Evaluation Commission (PEC).
The GIS must ensure efficient and safe integration into the existing environment.
Should the customer wish to feed back, City Power will advise on this during the site inspection phase of the application.
Response from ShadowMMC
Democratic Alliance Shadow MMC for the Department of Environment, Infrastructure and Services Nicole van Dyk shared residents’ bewilderment at the “misleading” messages.
“Once again, there has been very little public consultation on this issue. They should encourage people to install solar energy and this is a deterrent,” said Van Dyk The citizen.
The Ward 99 councilor added that the rules and fees felt like “another grab for money” from a municipality struggling for funding.
“The city always goes after the little guy and the business community for money, but the state and provincial powers remain untouched,” Van Dyk concluded.
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