The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has welcomed the confirmation by national electricity utility Eskom that it will not impose fines on, or disconnect, residential customers who had not registered their small-scale embedded solar generation systems by the September 30 deadline. Previously, Eskom and a number of municipalities had threatened that people who had not registered their solar systems by the deadline could be disconnected from the electricity system or face fines of up to R30 000.

“SAPVIA supports the legal, streamlined and cost-effective registration of solar systems,” assured SAPVIA technical and policy manager Sim Khuluse. “Under the Electricity Regulation Act, distributors are required to keep a register of embedded generation facilities to protect grid stability and safety, but that requirement was never meant to be enforced through fines and disconnection threats. Registration has to be built on trust and cooperation, not fear. Punitive measures don’t make the grid safer; they create friction in South Africa’s energy transition at exactly the point where we need more households on board.”

The association referenced the amended Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, which covered installations with a capacity that did not exceed 100 kW. This requires that these systems comply with the appropriate regulatory code, be connected at an approved point, and be logged in a register maintained by the distributor. These requirements ensure grid stability and institutional accountability. They are not created to penalise consumers who have invested in energy security for their homes or small businesses.

SAPVIA further stressed that it was important to comply with safety measures. These included having every installation covered by a valid Certificate of Compliance (CoC) issued by a registered professional electrician. The association supports safety and quality in the sector with its PV GreenCard programme, which provides thorough “as-built” documentation and vetting of the installers of each project.

“With installed solar capacity now above 11.8 GW, South Africa is Africa’s leading solar market and a global top-20 player,” he pointed out. “Tools like the PV GreenCard and mandatory CoCs help ensure every installation matches that world-class status on safety and quality. We’re calling on Eskom, municipalities and regulators to keep working with industry to make registration simple, accessible and affordable, so that no household is punished for helping secure South Africa’s energy future.”