The City of Cape Town warns that all solar photovoltaic (PV) and/or battery systems connected to the wiring of a building must be registered with the city before installation.

Also, from October onwards, only city-approved inverters will be accepted for these systems.

Solar PV and/or battery systems must also be installed by a competent installer who must provide a certificate of compliance.

These regulations do not apply to inverters that plug into wall sockets. These are regarded as electrical appliances.

“While these devices are fulfilling a crucial role in keeping users’ lights on, and in keeping businesses going during load-shedding, users are also reminded that they can pose a risk if not installed, stored or utilised properly," notes the city.

“With the big uptake in solar PV and batteries due to loadshedding, there has been an increase in fly-by-night operators,” warns the city.

“Many of these systems are not wired correctly, or are inferior, contributing to the extended power outages we are seeing when the power comes back on after loadshedding.”

These systems also pose safety risks.

Some recent incidents Cape Town’s Fire & Rescue Service had to deal with, related to attempts to counter loadshedding, include four people being overwhelmed by fumes from a generator; a gas explosion at a home; a fire on a truck transporting lithium-ion batteries; the batteries on an inverter system in a mall store igniting; a battery bank overheating owing to insufficient ventilation; and solar panels going up in flames on a factory roof.

“The city appreciates that residents want to protect themselves from the impacts of loadshedding, and many households and businesses nowadays are using various alternative power sources,” notes the city. “However…we all need to be incredibly cautious and vigilant about how we use and store these energy devices. 

“Ventilation is a key consideration, because of the risk of noxious gases from the use of petrol or diesel, but there is also the very real risk of devices overheating and catching fire.

“In the event of a fire, these new-age batteries also require very specific firefighting methods, so households and businesses need to ensure that they have the correct fire extinguishers on hand for their specific needs.”