Joburg and Durban considering satellite imagery to crack down on unregistered solar power systems

[Daniel Puchert]

South Africa's biggest city wants to use satellites and drones to find unregistered solar power users

Johannesburg and Durban's municipalities are considering using satellite imagery to detect unregistered solar power systems among their residents and businesses.

The two metros have told MyBroadband that they are exploring the technology as part of their broader strategies to get customers to register their small-scale embedded generation (SSEG).

 

[Lupus]

Why? No one wants to feed back to the grid, you push this, you lose a customer simple as that.
Plus for now with CP
Johannesburg’s electricity utility, City Power, told MyBroadband that registration of grid-tied systems in its jurisdiction was still voluntary.

 

[R4ziel]

I would rather spend more doubling my system and going off grid than pay to register so they can exploit me further

 

[Lupus]

I would rather spend more doubling my system and going off grid than pay to register so they can exploit me further

Currently in the process of doing that, got my new inverter, got my new batteries, rack coming soon and installer sorting out pricing for extra panels.
I've already gone days without City Power and after almost 3 weeks of living off solar and generator we were still pretty much okay.

 

[R4ziel]

Currently in the process of doing that, got my new inverter, got my new batteries, rack coming soon and installer sorting out pricing for extra panels.
I've already gone days without City Power and after almost 3 weeks of living off solar and generator we were still pretty much okay.

Doing that at a slightly slower pace, but heading there anyway. Got the inverter initially bigger than I needed (8kw) which is more than enough for me, just need to add 2 more batteries and 8 more panels, then I will be off grid.

If i have days where the sun doesn't fill the batteries Ill use the generator to top them off

 

[Lupus]

Doing that at a slightly slower pace, but heading there anyway. Got the inverter initially bigger than I needed (8kw) which is more than enough for me, just need to add 2 more batteries and 8 more panels, then I will be off grid.

If i have days where the sun doesn't fill the batteries Ill use the generator to top them off

Generator does cost a bit more to run :-( though wingnut keeps telling me to convert it to lpg

 

[Solitude]

They are doing everything they can to get rid of their paying customers.

 

[R4ziel]

Generator does cost a bit more to run :-( though wingnut keeps telling me to convert it to lpg

But its not going to be running 8-10 hours a day, just on days where I do need to top up the batteries so got no issues running it like that. But also been told to convert it to LPG, which might be a good idea anyway

 

[Quicks]

What they need to do is get the other 60% of their customers to pay for electricity. Not extort the few they have left.

 

[Lupus]

But its not going to be running 8-10 hours a day, just on days where I do need to top up the batteries so got no issues running it like that. But also been told to convert it to LPG, which might be a good idea anyway

Oh yeah sure at most I ran my generator for 4 hours, when it was a day far worse than this, thick layer of cloud and it was the second day already :-(. It also does depend on how much you push the generator to top up the batteries and how empty the batteries are I guess.

 

[Lupus]

What they need to do is get the other 60% of their customers to pay for electricity. Not extort the few they have left.

You'd think that, but hey.

 

[R13...]

they can't send an accurate bill or fix a pothole, streetlight etc but want to start using satellite imagery? LOL

 

[GMAN03]

The satellite images will only show whether solar panels are installed. If the PV system doesn't connect to the grid then it's irrelevant. They'll still have to go out and physically inspect the installations to determine whether they fall within the scope of needing to be registered.

 

[Benedict A55h0le not]

The satellite images will only show whether solar panels are installed. If the PV system doesn't connect to the grid then it's irrelevant. They'll still have to go out and physically inspect the installations to determine whether they fall within the scope of needing to be registered.

This is why all solar systems are required to be registered. It might be too late to ban off-grid inverters like the DA did in CPT, but solar owners will still pay the special grid maintenance levy for solar houses, grid-tied or not. They might even still ban off-grid. It seems like the DA CPT socialist extortion model is being rolled out everywhere.

 

[Neuk_]

This is why all solar systems are required to be registered. It might be too late to ban off-grid inverters like the DA did in CPT, but solar owners will still pay the special grid maintenance levy for solar houses, grid-tied or not. They might even still ban off-grid. It seems like the DA CPT socialist extortion model is being rolled out everywhere.

Except that, in CoJ, registration is not required. Also, in CoJ, ALL post paid users of CP supplied electricity pay the 'special' grid fee's. I am not sure about Durban though...

 

[Left Of Bang]

I am curious to understand how it will be possible to operate these drones in restricted airspace or will these rules be flaunted?

Unless there's a special permit to operate a drone in these 'no fly zones'.

Edit: I see a new sport on the rise; 'Eskom drone capture and destroy'

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Generator does cost a bit more to run :-( though wingnut keeps telling me to convert it to lpg

We need wind turbines to take off, so we can generate power at night and during rain...

 

[Benedict A55h0le not]

Except that, in CoJ, registration is not required. Also, in CoJ, ALL post paid users of CP supplied electricity pay the 'special' grid fee's. I am not sure about Durban though...

Do you mean registration is not required for off-grid? If it really is not required, then it does not make sense to use satellite imagery. If it really is not required, expect it to change soon. These people are dumb and slow, but they are following CPT`s lead and will be the same later.

 

[Neuk_]

Do you mean registration is not required for off-grid? If it really is not required, then it does not make sense to use satellite imagery. If it really is not required, expect it to change soon. These people are dumb and slow, but they are following CPT`s lead and will be the same later.

From the article...

Johannesburg’s electricity utility, City Power, told MyBroadband that registration of grid-tied systems in its jurisdiction was still voluntary.

However, the utility said it was exploring the potential use of advanced technologies, such as satellite photos and drone surveillance, for future audits.

“City Power is piloting a geo-satellite imagery mapping system to identify and compare registered and unregistered customers in our database,” it said. “The system is currently in the development phase.”

Not sure about off-grid but can't see how CP could enforce off-grid registration and I would expect off-grid registration to be challenged.

 

[wingnut771]

Except that, in CoJ, registration is not required. Also, in CoJ, ALL post paid users of CP supplied electricity pay the 'special' grid fee's. I am not sure about Durban though...

There are no grid fees in Durban. Just flat per unit rate.