Nonprofit the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) says it held a “constructive” meeting with Eskom Distribution management on August 8 regarding compliance and registration requirements for low-voltage solar PV systems and battery energy storage systems (BESSs) installed in homes and businesses throughout South Africa.

Outa informs that the meeting revealed that Eskom Distribution is still busy addressing a number of matters that will impact the conditions and needs pertaining to the utility’s compliance and registration requirements for low-voltage small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems connected behind the meter on a customer’s premises.

Outa suggests that home-owners and businesses that have or intend to install low-voltage SSEG systems of less than 100 kW should hold off on registering their systems with Eskom, or any municipality, until it is satisfied that that all the current requirements for registration of SSEG systems are “rational, necessary or required”.

Outa has expressed its concerns to Eskom Distribution regarding the utility’s “restrictive and costly” compliance requirements relating to three things.

These are prepaid electricity customers with conventional prepayment meters on Eskom homelight tariffs that have installed or intend to install low-voltage solar PV systems and/or BESSs; postpaid electricity customers with conventional credit meters on Eskom homepower tariffs that have installed or intend to install low-voltage solar PV systems and/or BESSs; and electricity customers on the Eskom homeflex time-of-use tariff that have installed or intend to install low-voltage solar PV systems and/or BESSs and do not export energy into the Eskom network.

Outa’s position is that the current registration is “irrational, unfair, anti-poor and discriminatory” against households and businesses.

Outa says it believes the mandatory South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) Code of Practice for Low-Voltage Electrical Installations is in the process of being amended to cover both standby and grid-tied solar PV systems and BESSs, which form the majority of residential systems installed.

“The Occupational Health and Safety Act, together with the associated Electrical Installation Regulations and the referenced mandatory standard SANS 10142-1 will, therefore, provide all the necessary technical, safety, compliance and enforcement regulations for solar PV systems and BESSs connected behind the meter on the premises of residential customers,” the organisation asserts.

It is of the view that in such circumstances, there is no need for Eskom’s requirement to have a professional person registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa sign off on residential SSEG installations, whether standby or grid-tied, as opposed to a Certificate of Compliance issued by an electrical contractor and electrician accredited by and registered with the Department of Employment and Labour.

Outa says Eskom’s current registration and compliance requirements for low-voltage solar PV systems and BESSs connected behind the meter on the premises of residential customers “may be overstepping its regulatory authority, safety mandate and enforcement authority”.

Eskom Distribution delegates at the meeting agreed to unpack the matters raised by Outa and to respond to the various questions and representations in due course.

Outa says it intends to engage further on these matters with Eskom Distribution; the relevant regulatory authorities, such as the Department of Employment and Labour and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa; as well as the relevant convenor of the SABS Working Group for SANS 10142-1.