Major victory for home solar in Cape Town

The City of Cape Town in South Africa has announced that residents who use their solar installations before receiving municipal approval will not be fined if they can prove they have initiated the application process. However, properties with unregistered solar systems will still be subject to penalties.  

The decision comes in response to complaints from installers about the months-long backlog of applications for rooftop solar in Cape Town. Starting from October 2023, all applications for solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery systems will be treated as grid-tied systems and require a City-approved inverter. The registration requirement aims to ensure safety, proper grid usage, and payment for electricity usage.  

Properties with unregistered systems will receive contravention notices and must disconnect the system, provide a Certificate of Compliance, and complete the authorization process within three months to avoid disconnection.  

The authorization process has been known to take up to five months, leading to calls for a moratorium on fines until approval is obtained. 

Read the full article here.