South African solar users may have to replace inverters to meet the grid code's requirements

Daniel Puchert

Daniel Puchert

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Big off-grid inverter problem in South Africa

Many South African households with solar power systems may have to replace their inverters to meet the grid code's requirements to be compliant with electricity distributors' rules.

MyBroadband was recently contacted by a concerned solar power user in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), who has recently been following developments around small-scale embedded generation system (SSEG) registrations.
 
Oh dear... if your unit is not on the list it's got to be a hongdeng.

"The service provider told the customer that their Must-branded off-grid inverter was not on the list of “approved inverters.”"

There we go. Must branded. What is a must inverter lol?
 
How is an inverter that isn't feeding back going to cause an issue to the grid?
I mean this is just hogwash from them
The city made the change after finding that many solar PV systems using non-approved inverters were not correctly wired, posing safety and grid stability risks.
How can an inverter that isn't able to feed back going to cause a grid stability risk?
 
Willie Trombone said:
Oh dear... if your unit is not on the list it's got to be a hongdeng.

"The service provider told the customer that their Must-branded off-grid inverter was not on the list of “approved inverters.”"

There we go. Must branded. What is a must inverter lol?
Click to expand...
Looks like an Axpert.
 
TL;DR your inverter must be hybrid and comply with NRS 097-2-1 standard for Grid Interconnection fo Embedded Generation, or in other words, be listed on the CoCT list of approved inverters which is used nationally..
 
Oh my I didn't even read further, should've cause another gem
Off-grid inverters are substantially cheaper than hybrid inverters, with pricing currently around R10,000 compared to R15,000 at the entry-level.
Yes Off-Grid inverters are cheaper, mainly cause they do not connect to the grid for backup purposes at all. Same as an Grid-tied inverter is cheaper as it's designed to literally just keep the power going as long as there is a grid connection.

Plus this is true
The significant enforcement resources required to ensure compliance could simply result in wide-scale disobedience.

Oh for the DA hate
Many residents mistakenly interpreted this as meaning that the metro was blocking people from going off grid, which was not the case.

If a customer did not want to use a hybrid inverter, they could only continue using their off-grid inverter by cutting off their connection to the grid.
 
exhausted-tiresome.png


How about keep the lights on, disconnect all of the illegal connections which are a genuine hazard to the grid and then we can talk? Until then, GFY.
 
Once again, this was already done in CPT and is now somehow magically being dreamt up after the DA joined the DANC GNU-GNU. They need to get their cash back from solar owners. Therefor they need all systems to be registered. Therefor they can not allow inverters that can`t feed in to be installed because these do not require registration by law. Therefor ban this type of inverter to enforce registration, so that they can get the AWOL cash cows to pay up again. This was already done by the DA in CPT, and I was told by the little Eskom defenders that I was mad to suggest that this will be rolled out nationally. Vavi DA socialism! AmanDA!
 
$m@Rt@$$ said:
The Victron list is very small. What's up with that.
Click to expand...

Most likely because whomever put the list together has no idea what they are doing, none of those Victron inverters are ' (PV) Photovoltaic Inverters", whatever the **** that is anyway. I have no idea why they have Photovoltaic (PV) in the name anyway, an inverter merely converts DC to AC (and vice versa if needed) and has nothing to do with PV other than PV is a DC supply.
 
The DA is not blocking going off grid by banning off-grid inverters, they are blocking it for "what if you sell your house" and " it is your responsibility to pay for grid maintenance" arguments. They banned off grid inverters to enforce registration to apply a new tax or to hike the connection levy for solar owners.
 
Lupus said:
Many residents mistakenly interpreted this as meaning that the metro was blocking people from going off grid, which was not the case.

If a customer did not want to use a hybrid inverter, they could only continue using their off-grid inverter by cutting off their connection to the grid.
Click to expand...
Little Benedict is one of them LMAO
 
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Death by a million papercuts The goal is simple and I wish MyBB would just spell it out. Our municipalities are working with Eskom to regulate private solar to death. It is as clear as day.

They are imposing unreasonable cost, that is essentially solar tax on South Africans that are trying to survive. They want to be in control of devices that came out our pockets that we paid for that we where forced to install due to unreasonable tariff increase and load shedding.

Think about it this way, remember when the government forced e-tolling on everyone? They did not care how it would effect our lives, livelihoods and if we could afford it or not. It is just Eskom and Municipalities are getting away with it.

Unlike e-tolling they can now come into your house and mess with you. This is wrong and the DA stabbed South Africans so hard in the back I hope they lose so badly next election that they lose ALL funding and TRUST from ALL South Africans because they are not doing a bloody thing to help/protect anyone.
 
Jackal46 said:
Death by a million papercuts The goal is simple and I wish MyBB would just spell it out. Our municipalities are working with Eskom to regulate private solar to death. It is as clear as day.

They are imposing unreasonable cost, that is essentially solar tax on South Africans that are trying to survive. They want to be in control of devices that came out our pockets that we paid for that we where forced to install due to unreasonable tariff increase and load shedding.

Think about it this way, remember when the government forced e-tolling on everyone? They did not care how it would effect our lives, livelihoods and if we could afford it or not. It is just Eskom and Municipalities are getting away with it.

Unlike e-tolling they can now come into your house and mess with you. This is wrong and the DA stabbed South Africans so hard in the back I hope they lose so badly next election that they lose ALL funding and TRUST from ALL South Africans because they are not doing a bloody thing to help/protect anyone.
Click to expand...
Little dumbass Eskom defender Lupoes will now tell you that municipalities, Eskom, and Nersa are completely independent. :laugh:
 
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