Boomer

I'm supplied by the City. I sent in an application to notify them of my intention to install solar (in the future) and asked for permission to use my off-grid inverter which was purchased when off-grid PV/battery installations were allowed. My point is, after people have already spent a lot of money installing perfectly legal systems (with COCs), you can't just change the rules. My knee-jerk reactions is to tell them to come and cut my supply - I will literally go off the grid and they can kiss all their revenue goodbye!  

I'm supplied by the City. I sent in an application to notify them of my intention to install solar (in the future) and asked for permission to use my off-grid inverter which was purchased when off-grid PV/battery installations were allowed. My point is, after people have already spent a lot of money installing perfectly legal systems (with COCs), you can't just change the rules. My knee-jerk reactions is to tell them to come and cut my supply - I will literally go off the grid and they can kiss all their revenue goodbye!  

I'm supplied by the City. I sent in an application to notify them of my intention to install solar (in the future) and asked for permission to use my off-grid inverter which was purchased when off-grid PV/battery installations were allowed. My point is, after people have already spent a lot of money installing perfectly legal systems (with COCs), you can't just change the rules. My knee-jerk reactions is to tell them to come and cut my supply - I will literally go off the grid and they can kiss all their revenue goodbye!  

I try to boil down all the above: The City is concerned with the influence grid-tied systems may have on their distribution grid. This concern is understandable. However they cannot prevent or prohibit anybody to implement his own electric island with whatever generation means he chooses, as long as it complies with the official safety rules and standards. They may require a COC in this respect. I like to classify solar Off-grid systems as island systems since they are operated basically that way. Only in need of battery charging from grid in so called line mode they become a simple consumer like everybody else. No need for special metering.
As a matter of fact load shedding obliges us to go island in order to have electricity, be it with a simple UPS or with a more complex solar system.
I find some of above cited ruling texts contradictory.

Time to get some lawyers involved and challenge the constitutionality of these fascist by-laws. To threaten fines etc is extortion, and to exclude off-grid inverters is insane. They make no sense whatsoever.  This will render every single UPS system illegal?

Not currently applicable to Parklands, it is an eskom service area.
I am here in Parklands too and dread the day the coct take over the supply Eskom supply is a lot cheaper than the coct supply.
Coct is in negotiations with eskom to take over everything in WC. I will be vocal when I attend their public consultations when the time arrives as I have no interest in being forced to pay their draconian fees and abide by their draconian rules.

Just received from the City of Cape Town the announcement of new ruling for approval of solar systems going onto effect by 1. October 2023. The context is to simplify and accelerate the approval process before installation. This is positive and welcome.
However looking into details I found the following: https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family and home/Greener-living/Saving-electricity-at-home/going-solar

From October 2023 Standby systems, we call them Off grid systems, will no longer be allowed. That to me is hilarious. The simpler, safer because no back-feed into the grid, less problematic, less expensive systems shall be prohibited! It revolts me. What do Cape Town residents that plan to go solar think of it? I would like to see a shitstorm against it.
www.capetown.gov.za/solarpv

I posted it in the thread "Cape Town new ruling: https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family and home/Greener-living/Saving-electricity-at-home/going-solar
I'm sure you will find there all you need.

The people who bought off-grid systems with the intention to add solar at a later stage (like me) now have a problem.... I specifically went for an off-grid system. It seemed illogical to me to buy an inverter almost twice the price if I had no intention to feed back to the grid. 

The people who bought off-grid systems with the intention to add solar at a later stage (like me) now have a problem.... I specifically went for an off-grid system. It seemed illogical to me to buy an inverter almost twice the price if I had no intention to feed back to the grid. 

addressed the issue already in my topic CAPETOWN NEW RULING.
In the mean time I addressed them the following comment:
Just received the announcement of new ruling for approval of solar systems going onto effect by 1. October 2023. The context is to simplify and accelerate the approval process before installation. This is positive and welcome. However from October 2023 Standby systems, we call them Off grid systems, shall no longer be allowed. That to me is bad news. The simpler, safer because no back-feed into the grid, less problematic, less expensive systems shall be prohibited! It revolts me. I operate now a 10kW Off-grid system for over 3 years in my home and would not want anything else. As much as you cannot ban simple UPS systems, you cannot ban Standby systems, since Standby systems are basically and hardware wise UPS systems with a solar battery charger added. Another thought: With more and more people going solar and installing only grid-tied systems, the grid will reach the situation where it will no longer be able to accept additional grid-tied solar systems. With a ban on Standby systems that would mean no more solar systems at all allowed. That would not be acceptable. It would be much more logic to ban the Grid-tied systems. I plan to install a solar system on our rental property in Parklands but will definitely not install a Grid-tied system.   I'm looking forward to their response.   Perhaps it would be an idea that a lot of people write such comment to them - create a shitstorm. [email protected]    

The hilarious thing is that Phocos is also OEM Voltronics & is Grid interactive. So the OG7.2 & 10 & others have the capabilities it just not setup to do so from the firmware/ Software. This is exactly how it does it's Blending of power sources. The Phocos is, however, very expensive for a Voltronics. 
In my opinion & it's a humble one, The City of Cape Town take this too far. They can't dictate how you keep the lights on, especially when it cant Grid tie. 
They basically dictating what appliance you have. Because this is connected like an appliance. It plugs into the grid & cannot interact anymore than a fridge can. Now unless a fridge is interactive then I'm sorry their ignorance is potentially cutting ppl off. 

I'm hoping they'll reconsider their lack of insight. Surely an off-grid inverter is the least risk to the grid. 

with a valid coc - agreed yes

I'm hoping they'll reconsider their lack of insight. Surely an off-grid inverter is the least risk to the grid. 

I'm hoping they'll reconsider their lack of insight. Surely an off-grid inverter is the least risk to the grid.