Installation of 4,500 MW solar PV boosting grid - Ramokgopa
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says 4,500 MW rooftop solar PVs installed in South African homes and businesses helped to boost the grid with a significant drop in demand.
Ramokgopa provided an update on Monday morning on the implementation of the government’s Energy Action Plan.
South Africa has seen an increase in the installation of rooftop solar PV within households and businesses as a result of Eskom’s limited grid capacity.
The government has also introduced a 25% rebate on the cost of the panels.
Ramokgopa said thus far, businesses and households have installed 4,500MW of rooftop solar PV - a significant milestone in the energy landscape.
He said this was double compared to the June 2022 estimated capacity.
"Generation from rooftop solar is a significant feature of how we see the energy landscape in the country.
Most of the time, I get to field questions with people saying the demand is going down because of rooftop solar that is rolled out by both industry and household– yes, that is what we want, and that is what we are encouraging.
“That is why the state has come with the incentive," he said.
Ramokgopa said his department is advocating for incentives to be extended to batteries and invertors.
"We need to have that incentive to be extended to components capital costs - It shouldn't just be restricted to solar PV panels.
“It should also extend to batteries and invertors, and we think once we do that, there will be a significant uptake,” he said.
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