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Registration of solar systems in SA
- 24 February 2025
- Regulatory Compliance and Legislation
- South African Accounting Academy
Summary:
It has been confirmed that you need to register your solar system in South Africa with the municipality or Eskom by March 2026, depending on who supplies your electricity – otherwise you could face penalties and a fine of about R6 052.
Article:
Do you need to register your solar system in SA
Yes, you need to register your solar system in South Africa with the municipality or Eskom, depending on who supplies your electricity. Registration is required to ensure the safety of the grid and to allow you to receive feed-in payments.
If homeowners do not register by March 2026, they could face penalties, including a fine of about R6 052.
Why do you need to register your solar system?
- Grid safety: Registration ensures that solar systems don't overload the grid or com-promise its safety and reliability
- Feed-in payments: Registration allows you to receive payments for feeding solar energy back into the grid
- Regulatory compliance: Registration ensures that your system meets all regulatory requirements
- Insurance claims: Failure to register could cause your insurance company to reject a claim
How do you register your solar system?
- Choose a certified installer
- Register your system with your local municipality or Eskom
- Get professional sign-off from an engineer
- Understand the feed-in tariffs and rules for your area
You may still need to pay Eskom if you have solar panels. You may need to pay a connection fee to stay connected to the grid, and you may also need to pay for inspections and up-grades.
Connection fees
- You may need to pay a connection fee to cover grid maintenance and access
- You may pay a fixed grid connection fee, but lower variable charges due to reduced energy use
Inspections and upgrades
- You may need to pay for inspections and upgrades, such as the installation of smart meters
Registration
- You should register your solar panels with Eskom and your municipality
- You can hire a qualified engineer or technologist to certify compliance
- You should register your system before installing solar panels to avoid potential non-compliance issues
Penalties
- You could face penalties, including a fine, if you don't register your system by the deadline
Eskom has issued a stern warning to homeowners with rooftop solar systems, stating that all installations must be registered with Eskom (as the utility) or risk being deemed illegal—a process that could be costly.
Eskom’s rules have been in place since 2019, and various awareness campaigns have been conducted to encourage compliance.
However, as of now, only about 1,300 customers have successfully registered their systems, leaving a signifi-cant number of unregistered installations across the country.
To register their systems, homeowners must hire a qualified engineer or technologist to certify compliance.
Eskom advises that this process should ideally be completed before installing solar panels to avoid potential non-compliance issues.
For those who already have systems in place, Eskom has launched a campaign running until March 2026, allowing homeowners to register their installations without incurring connection fees for systems below 50 kVA.
However, homeowners may still be required to cover costs for inspections and any necessary upgrades, such as the installation of smart meters.
Access the following information about registration with City Power (in Johannesburg) and City of Cape Town:
- A Guide to Household Solar Installations within the City of Joburg
- It is crucial for all customers to understand that compliance with City Power's bylaws is mandatory. Each connection must be declared and approved by City Power, and any new amendments will be reviewed in accordance with the SSEG policy.
- As a part of a move towards promoting renewable energy, City Power has streamlined the process for the Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) application, designed to facilitate the installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems for our valued customers.
- The guideline for the application of solar installation within the city is contained in 2 pages, and was issued in October 2024).
- https://api.citypower.co.za/ftp-service/download-pdf/%7Bfilepath%7D?filepath=Media_Room%2FMedia_Statements%2FA_guide_to_solar_instations_in_the_City_of_Johannesburg.pdf
- Registering your solar panels in Cape Town
- If you plan to have solar panels installed at your address, you will need to register the solar panels with the City of Cape Town. This is a mandatory permit that gives you registration as a solar power generation site. Without that permit - which is checked against aerial photographs - unauthorised solar panels will be rendered inoperative. Moreover, you will then have to pay service charges. Find out more about solar panel registration in Cape Town.
- https://soly.co.za/knowledge-base/registering-solar-panels-cape-town/
Click here to read the full article:
Relevance to Auditors, Independent Reviewers & Accountants:
- Municipal by-laws is yet another piece of legislation that your clients must comply with, and which you must assess compliance with. If they don’t comply with the relevant laws and regulations, you have certain reporting obligations in terms of NOCLAR (NOn-Compliance with Laws And Regulations) – this could include reporting to management, qualifying your audit opinion, reporting a Reportable Irregularity, etc.
- All homeowners with solar systems that are still connected to the national grid, must register their solar panels accordingly.
Relevance to Your Clients:
- An entity (company or close corporation) has a duty to comply with municipal by-laws, otherwise they could be held liable for fines and penalties.
- All homeowners with solar systems that are still connected to the national grid, must register their solar panels accordingly.