Private solar power embarrasses Eskom

Hanno Labuschagne

Hanno Labuschagne

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Private solar power embarrasses Eskom

In August 2025, rooftop solar power capacity surpassed the combined output of all of Eskom's utility-scale renewable power stations for the first time.

According to the National Transmission Company of South Africa, the capacity of "behind-the-meter" rooftop solar power reached 7,345MW last month, compared with 2,885MW of utility-scale solar power.
 
LCBXX said:
They're not outgunning Eskom today, that's for sure!

Maybe time the article better next time, like when there are clear sunny skies.
Click to expand...
Or private solar power embarrasses Eskom solar power, which is what the actual thing is about. But that's not click-baity enough because everyone already knows that...
 
Sjoe, any positive solar power articles seem to be living in your and @Lupus's heads rent-free. Probably have email, SMS, and WhatsApp notifications set to make sure you get in your bit.
LCBXX said:
They're not outgunning Eskom today, that's for sure!

Maybe time the article better next time, like when there are clear sunny skies.
Click to expand...
 
Hanno Labuschagne said:
Sjoe, any positive solar power articles seem to be living in your and @Lupus's heads rent-free. Probably have email, SMS, and WhatsApp notifications set to make sure you get in your bit.
Click to expand...
You're getting paid to do it.
I post my disdain for solar for free.
We're not the same, Hanno.
 
Unhappy1 said:
This isnt your system? Otherwise why do you have disdain for something you own?
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I loathe the fact that I've had to spend hundreds-of-thousands of Rands importing and installing solar bullshyte so that I don't have to live with power cuts.

All because our Overlords must pander to climate and anti-nuclear-energy activism, whilst breathlessly exporting our abundant resources of coal to Europe and China, and looting Eskom to the tune of R1m per hour, 24/7.
 
LCBXX said:
I loathe the fact that I've had to spend hundreds-of-thousands of Rands importing and installing solar bullshyte so that I don't have to live with power cuts.

All because our Overlords must pander to climate and anti-nuclear-energy activism, whilst breathlessly exporting our abundant resources of coal to Europe and China, and looting Eskom to the tune of R1m per hour, 24/7.
Click to expand...
Hey, but be happy, you're one of us. At least you'll always have power... Right?
 
LCBXX said:
I loathe the fact that I've had to spend hundreds-of-thousands of Rands importing and installing solar bullshyte so that I don't have to live with power cuts.

All because our Overlords must pander to climate and anti-nuclear-energy activism, whilst breathlessly exporting our abundant resources of coal to Europe and China, and looting Eskom to the tune of R1m per hour, 24/7.
Click to expand...

So the ANC are a bunch of morons therefore you hate solar, yes makes total sense.
 
Lupus said:
Nothing against positive ones, only when the facts aren't correctly stated. Like saying solar had any meaningful effect on load shedding.
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Riiiight. Like how there are absolutely zero credible sources that explain solar power has had a meaningful effect on load-shedding. Not a major bank's energy analysts nor Eskom itself:
mybroadband.co.za

Why there is no load-shedding — and how quickly that could change

The Eskom System Operator has explained how solar power is impacting to load-shedding, and how quickly the current situation can change.
mybroadband.co.za mybroadband.co.za

Your viewpoint is that solar power is not making a meaningful difference and that the overall decline in demand is actually the big factor.

The evidence points to a complex combination of factors, including vastly more solar and battery power, alongside factors like an overall decline in demand due to economic pressures (but also solar power), the increased implementation of load reduction, a slight improvement in generating capacity (also helped quite a lot by solar's contribution) and Eskom's bigger diesel budget. Which of the two is more correct?

I'm all for a fair argument, but the emotive reasoning against solar power suggests the increased solar uptake is something that damages you personally.
 
Lupus said:
Hey, but be happy, you're one of us. At least you'll always have power... Right?
Click to expand...
If I were off-grid today or there were loadshedding, I would've needed to make Greta angry as I start me hydrocarbon-burning generator.
 
LCBXX said:
I loathe the fact that I've had to spend hundreds-of-thousands of Rands importing and installing solar bullshyte so that I don't have to live with power cuts.

All because our Overlords must pander to climate and anti-nuclear-energy activism, whilst breathlessly exporting our abundant resources of coal to Europe and China, and looting Eskom to the tune of R1m per hour, 24/7.
Click to expand...
It's not just about the power cuts, at least you're not paying them anywhere near as much as you used to. In 2 years time I'll be at breakeven, and my power will mostly be free...
 
LCBXX said:
If I were off-grid today or there were loadshedding, I would've needed to make Greta angry as I start me hydrocarbon-burning generator.
Click to expand...

Since when do you care what Greta thinks? Beside if you were off grid or loadshedded without solar, you would be in a far off worse position. However for some reason you've got it in your head that you must disdain solar. Baffling.
 
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