South Africa's rooftop solar explosion

[Jan]

Rooftop solar explosion in South Africa

Rooftop solar generation has grown significantly in South Africa, with generation numbers increasing from 2,264MW in July 2022 to 5,440MW in March 2024.

This is according to Eskom's Generation Adequacy Report for Week 15 of 2024, which includes estimations of rooftop solar generation.

 

[KikzAzz]

I wonder what could have triggered it?

 

[Fuzzbox]

ESKOM becoming redundant one RAY at a time.

 

[B-1]

Good for the elections.

 

[R4ziel]

I thought we would see pictures of solar panels exploding, now I'm just dissapointed

 

[wingnut771]

Good for the elections.

Good how?

 

[TechGeek1]

It's such a hot country climate wise I wonder why there was such a reliance on the national grid

 

[B-1]

Good how?

The anc can tell us all how they improved loadshedding

 

[B-1]

It's such a hot country climate wise I wonder why there was such a reliance on the national grid

Eskom electricity was quite affordable so it didn't make sense financially. That changed drastically in the last few years.

 

[lkpat]

Rooftop solar explosion in South Africa

Rooftop solar generation has grown significantly in South Africa, with generation numbers increasing from 2,264MW in July 2022 to 5,440MW in March 2024.

This is according to Eskom's Generation Adequacy Report for Week 15 of 2024, which includes estimations of rooftop solar generation.

Eskom estimated that? It’s sure to be wrong.

 

[Charles Butcher]

I wonder what could have triggered it?

The wonderful anc governmunt, haha lmao, is to be thanked or blamed either way eskom won't be needed soon

 

[chrisc]

550 watt panels have come down to just over R2000. Inverters and batteries reduced by about 20%. Still a lot of work, placing the panels,. wiring them up in an approved manner and altering the house DB

But these savings can shave R25k off a new 8 panel installation, depending on the complexity

 

[wingnut771]

The anc can tell us all how they improved loadshedding

I would say that is bad for the elections.

 

[Tomtomtom]

Rooftop solar generation has grown significantly in South Africa, with generation numbers increasing from 2,264MW in July 2022 to 5,440MW in March 2024.

That's about equal to Eskom's entire peaking power plant capacity. Saving diesel is good. Unfortunately we still need all that capital and more on standby, for when the sun goes down.

 

[TechGeek1]

Eskom electricity was quite affordable so it didn't make sense financially. That changed drastically in the last few years.

Yes and at the same time solar power was ridiculously expensive. The roles seem to have been reversed.

 

[Tomtomtom]

Yes and at the same time solar power was ridiculously expensive.

Solar power still is expensive at 4am, which is why almost nobody ends up entirely off grid.

In addition to solar MWp we also need to know what MWh installed battery capacity we have available. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard for Eskom to estimate that too.

 

[Former member 61586]

Solar is like starting a church. License to print money.

 

[mpdjhb]

A

Solar power still is expensive at 4am, which is why almost nobody ends up entirely off grid.

In addition to solar MWp we also need to know what MWh installed battery capacity we have available. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard for Eskom to estimate that too.

Although most people are asleep at 4am. Even for a large house we are drawing 200W or so at 4am (based on over 4 years of logs on my Victron).

 

[G.A.S]

I wonder what could have triggered it?

Cheap PV prices, of course

This came from an old pricelist I downloaded when the first loadshedding started ~2008

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Cheap PV prices, of course

This came from an old pricelist I downloaded when the first loadshedding started ~2008
View attachment 1693397

Adjusting for inflation, you can effectively double to get today's price. And then it's still far smaller than what you can get today.

At R22k per 230W panel, I'd have to spend R600k just on panels just to get the same level of production versus R28k in the current market...