Plan to fix Eskom, remove 100MW embedded generation limit, buy more private power

[Jan]

South Africa's big plan to fix Eskom and end load-shedding

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced his plan to end load-shedding, including bringing skilled engineers back to Eskom, incentivising the uptake of rooftop solar, and buying surplus capacity from independent power producers.

He explained the plan during his address to the nation on Monday, 25 July 2022.

 

[itareanlnotani]

Golly gosh, squirrel has more plans.

Wonder if this will be like his other plans, you know like fixing Eskom, or splitting Eskom up, or solving load shedding or, or, or...

 

[lexis]

To invest one needs certainty. I can't see myself spending north of 150k when Eskom threatens me with a solar charge of R938+? and the DA complicates it further with a registration process that not only costs additional money but also creates further suspicion and uncertainty.

It seems safer to rather:
have a few batteries and a dumb inverter to carry one over during load shedding;
keep your freezer contents low;
invest the money and use the interest to contribute to the electricity bill.

 

[clickingbuttons]

Another cool story to tell..

 

[TelkomUseless]

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter previously complained that local content requirements forced it to buy solar panels from a single supplier at 15% to 20% more than the market price.

And we wonder why we sit in the dark. BEE before anything else...

 

[Thor]

Colossal waste of time this speech of Cyril was.

He said nothing of substance or significance.

Zero change

 

[j4ck455]

“To incentivise greater uptake of rooftop solar, Eskom will develop rules and a pricing structure – known as a feed-in tariff – for all commercial and residential installations on its network,” he said.

No thanks.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

So, to sum up : there isn't enough electricity and the plan is to get more........genius, wonder why nobody thought of that before.

 

[friedpiggy]

And we wonder why we sit in the dark. BEE before anything else...

Blackouts
Every
Evening

 

[Lupus]

To invest one needs certainty. I can't see myself spending north of 150k when Eskom threatens me with a solar charge of R938+? and the DA complicates it further with a registration process that not only costs additional money but also creates further suspicion and uncertainty.

It seems safer to rather:
have a few batteries and a dumb inverter to carry one over during load shedding;
keep your freezer contents low;
invest the money and use the interest to contribute to the electricity bill.

Firstly eskom isn't threatening that on solar, secondly are you even an Eskom direct client? Thirdly it doesn't have to be 150k

 

[quovadis]

Firstly eskom isn't threatening that on solar, secondly are you even an Eskom direct client?

They're not? Looks like they are and you think city councils won't adopt the same pricing strategy?

 

[R13...]

Firstly eskom isn't threatening that on solar, secondly are you even an Eskom direct client? Thirdly it doesn't have to be 150k

That's interesting. So only Eskom direct customers would be able to feed back in while if you are municipality you need to wait and see what they decide. Municipalities won't be too keen because they want you to be on their grid for revenue reasons. Also I'm sure Eskom will require that your solar system comply with certain standards which will cost money to certify.

 

[Speedster]

They're not? Looks like they are and you think city councils won't adopt the same pricing strategy?

There is no reason to think municipalities will follow Eskom's structure. Firstly, some municipalities have already implemented this even before the Eskom suggestion, which is evidence that the municipalities think for themselves. Secondly in tightly contested municipalities, raising the costs for low usage consumers will be political suicide.

 

[itareanlnotani]

That's interesting. So only Eskom direct customers would be able to feed back in while if you are municipality you need to wait and see what they decide. Municipalities won't be too keen because they want you to be on their grid for revenue reasons. Also I'm sure Eskom will require that your solar system comply with certain standards which will cost money to certify.

CoCT has already stated that commercial and industrial users can feedback and get paid at a rate of R1.1 /kw
Home users - not so much.

Cape Town to 'pay actual cash' to businesses for power in attempt to end load shedding | Business

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has announced new plans to secure more power for the grid to end load shedding.

www.news24.com

 

[Speedster]

That's interesting. So only Eskom direct customers would be able to feed back in while if you are municipality you need to wait and see what they decide. Municipalities won't be too keen because they want you to be on their grid for revenue reasons. Also I'm sure Eskom will require that your solar system comply with certain standards which will cost money to certify.

Yes, each municipality will make their own decision. For example, CoCT already has a reasonable feed in tariff. Municipalities might very well wish to go this route, especially if their feed-in tariff is lower than their Eskom fee per kWh.

A correctly installed solar system should already be compliant with the electrical regulations otherwise you are putting both your family and insurance cover at risk.

 

[quovadis]

There is no reason to think municipalities will follow Eskom's structure. Firstly, some municipalities have already implemented this even before the Eskom suggestion, which is evidence that the municipalities think for themselves. Secondly in tightly contested municipalities, raising the costs for low usage consumers will be political suicide.

So in context of @Lexix's post - what certainty do you have that the status quo will remain? CoCT has raised costs and still is DA run?

 

[dualmeister]

bringing skilled engineers back

So skilled white engineers then?
Swallow that bitter BEE pill.

 

[Lupus]

That's interesting. So only Eskom direct customers would be able to feed back in while if you are municipality you need to wait and see what they decide. Municipalities won't be too keen because they want you to be on their grid for revenue reasons. Also I'm sure Eskom will require that your solar system comply with certain standards which will cost money to certify.

Precisely, everyone had this big hooha over the R938 and and, but it's like it's for Eskom direct customers, muncipalities have their own tariff structure.

 

[Lupus]

They're not? Looks like they are and you think city councils won't adopt the same pricing strategy?

No they are not, also every muncipality dictates their own pricing structure on the tariffs, Eskom charges them a set amount, they charge the users another, no single tariff is the same from the muncipalities.

 

[quovadis]

No they are not, also every muncipality dictates their own pricing structure on the tariffs, Eskom charges them a set amount, they charge the users another, no single tariff is the same from the muncipalities.

So the "availability charge" they're essentially wanting to introduce doesn't set a minimum whether you use 1kwh or 900kwh and it's not disincentivising solar/grid alternatives? And why would Municipalities not adopt the same pricing strategy? How certain are you that the status quo will remain?