Loadshedding and selling electricity to the city

Loadshedding is a conversation that all of us probably have once a day. It has changed the way we move throughout the day, the way we think, the way we work, and it has definitely changed the way we feel about our future. Towards the end of last year 2022 was declared the worst year of rolling blackouts in November already. It’s anger, frustration, disappointment, and anger all get summed up in one universal South African emotion:

No Power GIFfrom No GIFs

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter hinted at loadshedding relief by the end of March, but we’ve learned not to trust predictions by the power utility. Just last night the power utility increased loadshedding to stage 5 after unplanned outages of generating units at Camden, Kendal, Lethabo and Majuba power stations over the past 24 hours.

Light or money at the end of the tunnel?

This week Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that by June this year by they would be able to start paying users cash for surplus electricity produced. Meaning if you have a solar panel system you would effectively be able to sell energy back to the city to offset loadshedding for the city. Smile Breakfast caught up with the mayor to find out a bit more:

At the moment we do pay a rebate and hat’s been the case the last few years. But we only pay it up to point at which you are a net consumer so there’s a cap on the rebate that we pay. The big change now is that you will be able able to produce as much as you want and there is no limit to what the city will buy back. We will also send you real cash for it if you want, it’s not just a rebate.

What do the experts say about this loadshedding relief?

Bobby wanted to unpack some of the more technical details of the city’s plans. He spoke to Thomas Garner from the South African Power Producers Association. Thomas explained how the process would work from installation to production to possibly provide some relief for our electricity problems.

loadshedding and a solar system — A typical home solar electricity system. Credit: handymanhomes.co.za

There is obviously a lot to consider before you install a solar panel system at your house. It’s not a cheap and we’ll keep you updated as things develop. If you are a homeowner that already has a solar panel system or might be planning to install one, we’d love to hear from you – email philip@smile904.fm.