CT889

I read a section of the act that requires registration, and it clearly states that off-grid systems are excluded. However, from what I’ve observed, municipalities and Eskom are exploiting this by enforcing the use of bi-directional meters, which they sell at exorbitant prices along with additional fees. Many people have reported registration costs ranging between R30,000 and R50,000—though this is circumstantial, and some may pay less. If off-grid systems are indeed excluded and there is no intention of feeding back into the grid, why can’t we work around this by installing a smart changeover switch between the municipal supply and the installation? This would ensure that the grid is never physically connected to the inverter through its wiring. Instead, the changeover switch would allow the installation to bypass the inverter and run directly from the grid when necessary. With home automation, the switch could be controlled dynamically—e.g., when battery levels drop below 30%, it could switch to the grid. Manual overrides could also be controlled via a smartphone. When the system is running on grid power, the solar and inverter would be entirely disconnected, meaning solar power would only be used to charge the batteries. This setup would eliminate any risk of accidentally feeding power back into the grid, ensuring safety during outages or maintenance. Who fully understands the legalities of this? Can we investigate whether this setup would allow us to bypass Eskom’s excessive registration fees and restrictions on solar users?