MJLorton Solar Power and Electronic Measurement Equipment Forum

Solar Power => Solar Power => Topic started by: SeanB on November 09, 2014, 06:56:08 AM

Title: A new solar power trend in South Africa.
Post by: SeanB on November 09, 2014, 06:56:08 AM

http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/couple-generate-power-sells-extra-to-city-1.1777144

The first domestic feed in tariff offered in South Africa. Hopefully this will spread to other municipalities as well.

Title: Re: A new solar power trend in South Africa.
Post by: SeanB on November 10, 2014, 01:54:47 PM

A segment from Cape Talk/ Talk Radio 702 on living off the grid. Might be interesting for some expats...

http://www.pod702.co.za/podcast/bestofredi/20141106BESTOFREDI.mp3

The rest of Redi is also good to listen to.

Title: Re: A new solar power trend in South Africa.
Post by: warlock on November 13, 2014, 04:26:09 AM

Yip, it's sad to say that some of us have to do this somewhat illegally

Title: Re: A new solar power trend in South Africa.
Post by: sungyonx on November 19, 2014, 02:06:57 AM

What is a lot in this world that I had never seen.

Title: Re: A new solar power trend in South Africa.
Post by: sheedl on November 25, 2014, 02:18:17 AM

Nothing new there, its the same SSEG setup thats been available for *years*.  I doubt they've made it any easier to signup since I last looked either.


It still doesn't make sense financially -

You get charged to grid connect (R14 daily at current rates for 2013.  R14 x 30 = R420 minimum charge over and above your bill)
You don't get paid for electricity paid back into the grid over and above what you use.
You get credited R0.56 per KW generated, and billed R1.2? (have to check again) for usage*
Finally -  you can't have a system over 3KW

*I don't mind the disparity in generation vs usage, but the daily fee is BS.

Title: Re: A new solar power trend in South Africa.
Post by: SeanB on November 25, 2014, 11:10:22 AM

Basically business as usual then. Regulate to death to protect the incumbent monopoly.

Title: Re: A new solar power trend in South Africa.
Post by: warlock on November 28, 2014, 03:07:07 AM

I still think it's work while, if you feed enough back that you have a zero bill at the end of the month, then basically you'll only pay R400 a month flat fee.

From the article.

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"Money doesn’t change hands, as the city purchases by credit. As my metre ticks over from the power the PV panels generates, I’m building up credits at a rate of 56c a kilowatt hour. That is the price the city buys power from Eskom."
Does this mean that the credits will offset the service charge.

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“And when we need power at night, then we import electricity from the city and we get it at a 42 percent discount. From a business point of view it is a remarkable win-win situation.”When they use more that they produce they are getting 42% discount