Solar panel theft is on the rise in South Africa as the rapid adoption of solar power systems has led to a growing trend of theft of components. This has created a thriving black market for entire solar panels and their scrap parts.
Webber Wentzel, a South African law firm, has raised concerns about the government’s tax incentives for rooftop solar panels, calling them short-sighted and failing to understand the functioning of a complete solar energy system.
South Africa’s Electricity Minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, cautioned against adding too much solar generation capacity to the grid too quickly, as it could potentially cause the grid to collapse.