Best way to hide solar panels from an aerial survey?

[Scooby_Doo]

You are asking people to provide you with public information because you are lazy. It is an unreasonable request.

Pdf http://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures, guidelines and regulations/Understanding-residential-electricity-tariffs.pdf

I do not understand what you see at as a stealth tax. No amount of me analyzing electricity tariffs will tell me what is in your head. My only other option is to make assumptions, like your assumption we are "lazy".

 

[quovadis]

It is reasonable to suspect that they might come up with some dodgy additional tax if there is evidence of their failed attempts at doing exactly that floating around already.

No need for another tax. When the municipality assesses your property they don't exactly visit every home thus they can assume they can load your valuation with an extra million or so because you are rich enough to install solar panels and they spotted it on their GIS satellite view.

 

[itareanlnotani]

The next owner may want to be on the grid, so that is understanable.

The fee for a service you don't use, not so much.

The next owner can pay for a grid connection then, if they want one.

I'm guessing by that point in time, they'd rather not, and will enjoy the more reliable power from the solar + batteries.

 

[Pegasus]

The next owner can pay for a grid connection then, if they want one.

I'm guessing by that point in time, they'd rather not, and will enjoy the more reliable power from the solar + batteries.

You have to get an electrical compliance certificate and a few other things when selleng, so I have no issue with ensuring that the grid connection works.

 

[JohnStarr]

Sh!tty of Cape town requires solar installations to be registered..

City of Cape Town Link

Sharing a City of Cape Town Page...

www.capetown.gov.za

Not sure why OP doesn't just register, there is no charge for it...

...not yet. It IS the DA. There are rumours they will expect people to register their water tanks in PLZ for rates to be applied.

 

[rietrot]

No need for another tax. When the municipality assesses your property they don't exactly visit every home thus they can assume they can load your valuation with an extra million or so because you are rich enough to install solar panels and they spotted it on their GIS satellite view.

It would increase the value of your property. Any improvements you make not just solar.

Property taxes based on value is BS.

 

[quovadis]

It would increase the value of your property. Any improvements you make not just solar.

Property taxes based on value is BS.

That's not really the point I was making. Noone wishes to attract attention to their properties since Erkurhuleni and Joburg have stratospherically increased property values and their appeals process is a deadend.

 

[wingnut771]

It would increase the value of your property. Any improvements you make not just solar.

Property taxes based on value is BS.

BS I agree. I've always battled to understand how rates can be based on property value. Might aswell not cut the grass and let the building fall into disrepair, so that values and rates drop.

eg: Your house triples in value, does the rubbish become 3 times more expensive to collect, or the street light become 3 times more expensive to replace, what about that pothole, does it become an expensive pothole?

 

[Benedict A55h0le]

Everything is geared and set for you to pay more and get the same or less from them. Just the fact that if you use more you pay more per unit is a socialist stealth tax in work. It is logical and fair that everybody pays the same for the same thing. "Cape Town works, lets do (you) pay more."

 

[itareanlnotani]

What's even worse is that the CoCT will not approve an off-grid solar installation in a new build house unless it has already got a connection to the grid. They actually force you to connect to the grid whether you want to or not, which means even if you don't use any prepaid grid electricity you still have to pay the monthly connection fee. To me that pretty much shows that this is all about revenue protection.

Do you have any further details on this?

I'm currently offgrid in a new house build in Cape Town. No grid connection. Full offgrid setup.

 

[deweyzeph]

Do you have any further details on this?

I'm currently offgrid in a new house build in Cape Town. No grid connection. Full offgrid setup.

You obviously have an illegal system then. It's very clear here:

https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures,%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Requiremenst%20for%20Samll-Scale%20Embedded%20Generation.pdf

Page 29:

Should a customer wish to connect an SSEG system at a location where there is no existing electricity service connection, the customer must complete and submit the APPLICATION FOR A NEW OR MODIFIED ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SERVICE Form together with the GEN/EMB Form.

 

[Benedict A55h0le]

You obviously have an illegal system then. It's very clear here:

https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures,%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Requiremenst%20for%20Samll-Scale%20Embedded%20Generation.pdf

Page 29:

I think this might be a case of them changing the rules to extort more money from you.

 

[deweyzeph]

https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Financial%20documents/Electricity%20Consumptive%20Tariffs.pdf

And remember you are not allowed to generate more than you consume. Elec price goes up 13.5%, payback for feed-in goes up by 3.1%. You are forced to register your system at their price and you get nothing for it. It is purely to tie you in to squeeze more money from you.

Technically what they mean is that you will only be compensated up to the same amount of electricity that you take out of the grid. They will happily take your excess electricity for free though.

 

[Benedict A55h0le]

Technically what they mean is that you will only be compensated up to the same amount of electricity that you take out of the grid. They will happily take your excess electricity for free though.

All they say is "Systems generating more than consumption over 12 months are not permitted." This is just double speak for "if you dare try make money from your solar generation investment we will fine you or disconnect your system".

 

[deweyzeph]

All they say is "Systems generating more than consumption over 12 months are not permitted." This is just double speak for "if you dare try make money from your solar generation investment we will fine you or disconnect your system".

It really makes you wonder why anyone would opt for a grid-tied system. There really is no incentive at all to feed back into the grid.

 

[wetkit]

Yes, unfortunately City Of Cape Town is very hard-up about rules and regulations.
Just imagine the chaos if everybody just build their house how and where they wanted.

COC does have very good aerial photos and they do inspect them for new solar installs.
If they do not find your details on the application system, they send somebody out with a warning letter.
If you do not comply, they will disconnect your power and give you a hefty fine. Currently around R8k.
If not paid, they do not re-connect your power!

Yes, currently Feed-in tariffs does NOT make sense at all.
It is basically free electricity the city can sell back to other consumers, so why not?
And then you still have to pay R15k for a new power meter!!!!

Best is to install a complete off-grid system and just have your geyser and stove connected to the grid.
Just do the correct application procedure and there should be no further issues.

 

[itareanlnotani]

You obviously have an illegal system then. It's very clear here:

https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures,%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Requiremenst%20for%20Samll-Scale%20Embedded%20Generation.pdf

Page 29:

Edited - looks like thats indeed correct.

They basically screw you one way or another.
However, this is indeed proof of a solar tax for registering - I wouldn't need to pay unless I registered. So that is provably true.

 

[Benedict A55h0le]

It really makes you wonder why anyone would opt for a grid-tied system. There really is no incentive at all to feed back into the grid.

They are protecting their monopoly and the socialist system that pays their fat salaries. Even going off-grid you still need to register, and seems like they force you to connect it now anyway, so that they can charge you their fees. Instead of helping and empowering people to exist in the modern world they use your tax money to bind you to an unfair outdated socialist system.

 

[deweyzeph]

Nope, thats if you want to apply for SSEG.

NB - SSEG = Legal Feedback to the grid.

Incorrect. The City of Cape Town refers to any solar installation as an SSEG. Read the document. Even off-grid installations are referred to as SSEGs.

Page 12:

Off-grid SSEG
SSEG that is physically separated, electrically isolated and not interconnected with the electrical installation or the distribution network – either directly or through a customer’s internal wiring. Customer loads cannot be simultaneously connected to the distribution network and the SSEG installation, and export of energy onto the distribution network by the generator must not be possible. SSEG that is connected to 13 | P a g e the network through a reverse power flow blocking relay is not considered to be offgrid.

 

[WAslayer]

Nope, thats if you want to apply for SSEG.

NB - SSEG = Legal Feedback to the grid.

Have you registered your off grid installation (my understanding is that, even if off grid, you still need to register) and of so, are you getting charged any sort of fee related to electricity at all..?