Freek Eek

I know this is an old topic, but I am trying to understand this as well. I have a 16kW Deye inverter with everything in my house connected to the "essentials"/UPS. I have enough batteries to not require any current from the utility and in South Africa it does not make any financial sense to feed back. I operate most of the time with the grid disconnected, but the municipality now wants to install a prepaid meter. I am not sure I understand the need to draw 20W continuously. My understanding is that the "essentials"/UPS power gets regulated/supplied by the inverter from the solar panel and batteries, there should be no feed-through. I can understand if I have loads on non-essentials that switching can cause feed-back, but I do not understand why a load on "essentials" will require this. Even if my oven or geyser or pool pump switches on or off, this is supplied through the inverter directly, not through the inverter in parallel with the utility. Can somebody explain. Maybe there is something I do not understand. WIth my current old style electricity meter, the meter has not registered any electricity usage for 2 months, even though the inverter reports drawing 20 W periodically from the grid.

This comment seems as if CPT does not prevent you from going off the grid, although their terminology is confusing: "The new rules will not apply to mobile solutions like trolley inverters or power stations that can be plugged into wall sockets. It will also not apply to scenarios where residents completely sever their homes from the grid." Seems as if they are interpreting "off grid" as systems that claim "off grid", but there is still a connection to the grid. My understanding would then be that they can still "disconnect" you if you want. Does this mean they still charge you their exorbitant "connection fees" based on your property's evaluation? To me this seems like a hidden "property tax", bypassing the Municipal Act.

Just two quick questions. My 16 kW Deye inverter is set up that all electricity to my residence is fed via the Deye "UPS" output. In other words: there are no devices on the line shared between my inverter and the grid. The Deye is set up to "not sell power to the grid" and to not power any devices for which a CT is needed. The graphics of their online interface show no power to the "home" and all power on the "UPS" (i.e. essential devices). 1. Would this installation require an additional reverse power flow blocking device? 2. In some foreign countries this is deemed an off-grid system. Am I right that in South Africa this is on-grid if the grid input to the hybrid inverter is connected to the grid with the grid Mains switch in the "on" position?

After also not getting any answers from Tshwane, I came to the following conclusions: 1. There are no bylaws in Tshwane regarding SSEG systems. I could not find any process or bylaw stipulating how to register an off grid system with Tshwane to meet Nersa requirements. I guess if there is no way, you have met all the required processes. 2. The current operation for SSEG registration in Tshwane is contrary to their 2017 policy which specifically warns against customers that will "defect" if they make it difficult. This is what "going off-grid" means. 3. Although you should be able to cancel your municipal electricity supply service after giving two days' notice according the the promulgated bylaws, I could not find any process enabling you to do this. In addition, if they can supply the service and you do not take up a contract with them, they can charge you a fee. 4. Here is an excerpt from Eskom's documentation: "In cases where a customer does have access to the grid but also wants to be able to operate in an off-grid mode, the customer installation can be connected to the grid with the requirement of having an external electromechanical break-before-make switch in place. Such switched alternative supply will be regarded as an off-grid generation system." I read this to main that if I have a mechanical switch in place to select between "off grid" and "on grid with solar disabled", it means off grid as you cannot use grid and solar simultaneously. In my case I have a "main switch" after Tshwane's meter which disconnects everything on premise from the network. I also have a switch which selects between Inverter UPS output and output from the "Main Switch". If we therefore follow Eskom's definition (Tshwane has none), my SSEG is off-grid as long as my "Main switch" is off; my premises are connected to the Tshwane distribution network, but my SSEG not and I am not using any power from Tshwane's distribution network. May I say: I think the way Tshwane is handling this is extremely short sighted. I do not need their power, but my system can produce excess which Tshwane can get the power for nearly two average houses, which I am willing to give for free to the municipality which they then do not have to buy that power from Eskom. However, as I will not pay any fees for electricity anymore, and I am not willing to visit two different buildings, pay a lot of money for a new meter, sign a new contract with TShwane to pay a monthly connection fee to be able to feed power to the grid, for which I will be paid less than what the connection fee is, I see no reason to jump through Tshwane's SSEG hoops. Once Tshwane has a registration process in place for off grid systems, I will submit my documentation. Is there anything I missed?