Solar users have to register by end-March to avoid R10 000 connection fee

Households and businesses using specific rooftop solar systems have until 31 March for registration without paying the R10,000 connection fee.

Consumers have been informed that systems up to 50kVA (kilovolt-amperes) must be registered with either Eskom or municipalities, and comply with grid code requirements in terms of the Electricity Regulation Act.

RELATED: Installing rooftop solar just became simpler and cheaper with Eskom policy change

In the update on its Solar PV registration legal compliance campaign, Eskom explained that all systems under 100 (kVA) must be registered with the network service provider and comply with grid code requirements.

The vast majority of residential systems are under 50kVA and it is these that qualify for the waiver of registration and connection fees.

A government post on social media alerted consumers to fake news being circulated claiming that connecting solar systems to the grid requires registration by March 2026 and includes fees - this is FALSE. 

Stephen Grootes interviews Kevin Pillay, general manager in Eskom Distribution, and asks him why solar users need to register in the first place.

The most important driver concerns safety, says Pillay.

"The consideration is safety of people working on the grid, of other users on the grid, and the ability for us as a utility to ensure we are capable of providing electricity to the other users within the required standards. Solar systems are able to generate impurities that cause disturbances on the voltage waveforms that can sometimes create unsafe conditions, so the intention is definitely around safety."

Pillay also clarifies that while Eskom has the power to impose fines for illegal connections, at this point they are not deeming unregistered small scale embedded generators as illegal, so there is not an intention to impose fines.

"All we are doing is encouraging customers to come forward, and more so because they get a cost benefit at this time from the concessionary campaign."

Who needs to register and where

• SSEG systems above 100 kVA, that are typically large businesses, are legally required to be registered directly with NERSA.
• SSEG systems below 100 kVA, covering households and small businesses, must be registered with Eskom or the local electricity provider with Eskom providing R10,000 support for customers with systems under 50kVA.
• Fully off grid systems do not need to register if they operate independently from Eskom’s supply.

Pillay also explains why the utility wants prepaid solar customers to switch to postpaid, and whether this could change - take a listen in the interview audio at the top of the article