3 hours ago, IdlePhaedrus said:

take Blom's R4.50 claim with a dollop of salt.

I've said before Blom seems like the kind of guy with an axe to grind. That doesn't mean that he is lying, or that he isn't justified in having said axe to grind, but in my mind it casts a shadow on his credibility. Then in a Mybroadband article he advised people to go solar rather than generator (which is kinda sorta a good thing), and that batteries can last 20 years (which is just downright false), again shedding doubt on whether he is the all-round expert all people think he is. He seems to be the go-to guy for journalists who need someone to criticise Eskom. I'm long past the dollop of salt point 🙂

 

11 minutes ago, plonkster said:

I'm long past the dollop of salt point 🙂

As much as I agree with the point of view, every time there are signs of smoke, a fire eventually erupts spectacularly here in SA's politics.

The R4.50 I would hope is like IdleP said, possibly corruption, added on afterwards or some such. I REALLY hope so, that it does not turn out to IPP's raping SA's dying utility to death. I really hope so.

And IF this thing goes to the top as Johan posted, brother in law and all that, thinking of the Gupta's, whom are all still blissfully not in jail and nary a word on that fiasco, that if this rot is on the same level, or deeper, more severe, then I have no hope of it ever being sorted i.e. no-one sees the inside of a jail ever. 

Time will tell.

Still would like to know where all those engineers reports are on Eskom.

On 2019/05/06 at 4:42 PM, The Terrible Triplett said:

My grid-tied application is done and nearly dusted. Just waiting for CoCT's final letter of approval as all the paperwork is in

The Blom discussion has de-railed your thread a bit @The Terrible Triplett

So, lets get back on topic.  How's your application going?

2 minutes ago, IdlePhaedrus said:

How's your application going?

Waiting on CoCT to tell me all is accepted so that I can switch on. Not allowed to switch on till they say yes see. 😉  

Was told it could take some weeks / months for the final letter of approval. They are quite understaffed.

 

4 minutes ago, IdlePhaedrus said:

The Blom discussion has de-railed your thread a bit

Payback for when me and / or that other de-railer, goes by the handle of Plonk something, does that to other threads. 😆

3 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

 of Plonk

Wine^H^H^H^HDiscussion of dubious quality 😄

 

Edited May 17, 20197 yr by plonkster

18 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

months

Really? 🙄

6 minutes ago, IdlePhaedrus said:

Really? 🙄

My advice: Papers all in, everything by the book?

Then sit back, relax and have some Plonk, sorry, WINE! 😜

15 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

My advice: Papers all in, everything by the book?

Yes (according to installer).

16 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Then sit back, relax and have some Plonk, sorry, WINE!

Sorted 🤣

 

Friend of mine submitted his application in December. He is still waiting for the approval.

My application has been in for a while - still waiting for the letter approving the install despite several followups and promises of "will be done by Friday". I have a verbal OK from one of the city engineers that all is good but I do not want to proceed until I have something in writing.

Going nowhere fast...

 

Just got this email in. CoCT is really doing their part if you ask me.

And see, no charge.

The video mentioned above, for those whom have not seen it yet:

 

And, if you register a new system after 31 May - what does it cost then?

So my 5 mins of google-fu failed on Tshwane's website. Is there a place where I can find info for Tshwane as well? Also, I did not trawl through the entire 23-page thread

Actually, I want *all* the regulations/docs/numbers I may need, so that I can make sure I am making informed decisions.

4 hours ago, Minerva10210 said:

So my 5 mins of google-fu failed on Tshwane's website. Is there a place where I can find info for Tshwane as well? Also, I did not trawl through the entire 23-page thread

Actually, I want *all* the regulations/docs/numbers I may need, so that I can make sure I am making informed decisions.

SANS and NRS regulations are driving it nationally.

The regulation book electricians use, has a section on solar.

Here are the links I traced over time:

Eskom: 
http://www.eskom.co.za/Whatweredoing/Documents/GAU_SMG_ FAQs.pdf 
http://www.eskom.co.za/Whatweredoing/Documents/CustBulletinSPU.pdf

JHB: https://portal.segensolar.co.za/reseller/docs/City_Power_Install_Standards.pdf 

Durban: http://www.durban.gov.za/City_Services/electricity/Generation/Pages/The-Application-Process.aspx 

Tswane: 
https://www.sseg.org.za/?s=sseg
http://www.tshwane.gov.za/PublicParticipation/28. Proposed Embedded Generation Policy to support and formalise procedure.pdf
https://www.sseg.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/resource_431.pdf

NERSA: http://www.nersa.org.za/Admin/Document/Editor/file/Consultations/Electricity/Documents/Consultation Paper-Rules for Registration of SSEG.pdf 

Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.co.za/draft-rules-require-solar-pv-backup-generators-to-be-registered-2018-5 

Edited May 23, 20197 yr by Guest

And I just found this too: http://www.ee.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Christopher-Gross-GIZ-presentation.pdf

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/tshwane-could-become-sas-solar-capital-8322344

Seems to me CoCT is streaks ahead of the rest of SA.

Edited May 23, 20197 yr by Guest

I am in Durban and I see as part of the application that they want to change your meter to a bi-directional meter and setup a grid fee. What if my system wont be feeding back to the grid and I will be using municipal power at night. The grid fee could be almost as much as the savings from solar pv.

13 minutes ago, Greglsh said:

... they want to change your meter to a bi-directional meter and setup a grid fee.

I think JHB wants the same. Only CoCT says they want a PAYG meter if you don't feed back. CoCT, if you want to feed back, then they require a bi-directional meter and a daily fee - which I think is going to change once it it all settled and done.

Maybe wait it out i.e. do your own thing till the National regs are out and in place. Own thing in you follow the CoCT process to the T i.e. inverter is on the NRS list, tests are done, CoC etc.

Because it will not surprise that what CoCT is enforcing now, that becoming the new national requirement. Time will confirm or deny that.

On 2019/05/17 at 4:07 PM, The Bulldog said:

Friend of mine submitted his application in December. He is still waiting for the approval.

My application has been in for a while - still waiting for the letter approving the install despite several followups and promises of "will be done by Friday". I have a verbal OK from one of the city engineers that all is good but I do not want to proceed until I have something in writing.

Going nowhere fast..

Got a call this morning.  CoCT will be doing a site visit later this week to progress the application. 

So that was quicker than expected (just over three weeks), but the site visit at this stage wasn't expected.

On 2019/05/08 at 4:45 PM, plonkster said:

They are compelled by law to come up with something. What they came up with was too vague. It ended up looping in off-grid systems on farms and possibly even backup generators, and it made room for a registration fee without being specific about the amount. The issue actually been around since 2015.

The media ran the story as "government wants to tax your solar panels". People read the headline on social media without reading the article. I still hear uninformed people saying to their friends "yeah and these idiots want to tax the sun!".

You are far too trusting of our benevolent rulers...

Registration precedes licensing (with fees attached), licensing presumes the ability to refuse a licence or to impose limits and conditions, including total denial of access.

Don't ask me how I know this.

59 minutes ago, PaulinNorthcliff said:

Registration precedes licensing (with fees attached

South Africa is a constitutional state, which implies that nothing can be done unless it is codified into a law (consistent with the contitution) first. Which is why the content of the legistlation that NERSA has to come up with is so important. It has to be specific about which fees can be charged and how much they can be. There is presently no provision for a "tax" as normally understood. Of course there are multiple ways to get tax income, you could levy it once-off like the carbon tax on new vehicles, or periodically like a license disc on a car.

Be that as it may, if there is a reason to be concerned, I would like those who push the story to read the proposed documentation, and tell us WHY they are concerned. I refuse to go off running like  headless chicken because of something someone said on social media... 🙂

 

1 hour ago, plonkster said:

South Africa is a constitutional state, which implies that nothing can be done unless it is codified into a law (consistent with the contitution) first

Exactly that.

Besides SSEG there are other areas where legislation conflicts with the constitution, a quick example is you can't hold dual citizenship unless you have a permission letter from the associated ministry, but constitutionally you also cannot lose your South African citizenship.  This has only been enforced once to my knowledge, and the legislation lost in the constitutional court.

With specific regard to SSEG there are certain rights guaranteed under the constitution, and, if the government can't provide, and the only choice is self provision, and the legislation is in conflict, then the constitution Trumps so to speak.

I fully expect SSEG to end up in the constitutional court eventually.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.

And, then, with regards to climate change, our new president has just signed the carbon tax bill into law I believe (that snuck by quietly).

So, interesting times.

7 hours ago, IdlePhaedrus said:

Besides SSEG there are other areas where legislation conflicts with the constitution, a quick example is you can't hold dual citizenship unless you have a permission letter from the associated ministry, but constitutionally you also cannot lose your South African citizenship.  This has only been enforced once to my knowledge, and the legislation lost in the constitutional court.

That came up in Namibia as well. Turns out the same thing is true for born Namibians: You can't lose your Namibian citizenship if you were born there. But it had to be challenged in court first.

16 hours ago, plonkster said:

South Africa is a constitutional state, which implies that nothing can be done unless it is codified into a law (consistent with the contitution) first.

Yeah, that's not how the law (or the Constitution) works at all. As per the law... everything is allowed that is not specifically disallowed. As per the Constitution, well that is a list of things (we, the people) agree top let the government control, the Bill of Rights is those things we don't allow the government to mess with.

But now we're way off topic.

33 minutes ago, PaulinNorthcliff said:

But now we're way off topic.

snuggle up with the 'off topic' mates, a discussion like this can only edify that thread 😉

3 hours ago, Gabriël said:

snuggle up with the 'off topic' mates, a discussion like this can only edify that thread 😉

I spend most of my life arguing that rubbish. I need a rest sometimes.

 

5 hours ago, PaulinNorthcliff said:

But now we're way off topic.

OK, let's get back on topic. No funny business. Can someone point me to the particular area of concern, ie a particular piece of legislation that's making its way through the channels at the moment that might need our attention, or is this just a new wave of worry about the existing process?

If this is a new wave, round two, is there a reason we need to protest the current form?

My understanding is that in the current form, generators that are for own use (off-grid) are not covered by the ERA and therefore also out of scope for the SSEG stuff NERSA is working on. Anything that is grid-tied needs to be registered. A small once-off registration fee will apply. I can live with this version. Cape Town's present process is MORE onerous than this (except there is no fee payable to THEM... but plenty of other fees for other people).

If the government wants to further disencentivise grid-tied PV, they would then have to make an amendment to this law, publish it, and go through the same process again.

I have no doubt that governments will take chances and will need to be kept in check, fwiw 🙂