https://www.enca.com/business/battery-facility-first-africa

6 hours ago, Bobster. said:

https://www.enca.com/business/battery-facility-first-africa

Let's hope they will also only charge during off peak in order to provide the 5hr power unless it is intended to power towns smaller than the towns they mention. 

They mention 20MW of power. May be a better way of quantifying would cave been the MWh storage. 

16 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

Let's hope they will also only charge during off peak in order to provide the 5hr power unless it is intended to power towns smaller than the towns they mention

I don't know how grids work. I know I get power, but none of it is generated in Johannesburg. Is Eskom generating in Gauteng? 

So do they target specific areas with these systems, or do they just feed into the grid. 

This has no generation, but maybe sites like this (several more are on the way) are why they want us to register systems and sell back to the grid. 

1 hour ago, Bobster. said:

I don't know how grids work. I know I get power, but none of it is generated in Johannesburg. Is Eskom generating in Gauteng? 

So do they target specific areas with these systems, or do they just feed into the grid. 

This has no generation, but maybe sites like this (several more are on the way) are why they want us to register systems and sell back to the grid. 

No generation in Gauteng. All power is thus imported. Some do come from as far as Mozambique via the Apollo substation between OR Tambo and Pta. Most from Mpumalanga. 

Not something to spend time on to understand as the flow is constantly changing and it does not affect us really. 

We know these battery systems were mentioned long ago but I have not read anything on where they will be built although some are mentioned in the link. 

Anything sources from PV owners after registrations means more load is in Eskom hand to manage the destination between sources(Power station) and country wide loads. 

 

28 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

Anything sources from PV owners after registrations means more load is in Eskom hand to manage the destination between sources(Power station) and country wide loads. 

Yes. This is the bit I can't get my head around. Not on a national level. Maybe City Power can use my electrons, but they won't get to Durban. 

Though I suppose if PV in Jhb is reducing load, Eskom can send a bit more somewhere else.

So for me that's the real value to Eskom in rooftop solar: it's a reduction of demand. 

 

Edited November 11, 20232 yr by Bobster.

One more source on the topic, confirming that it's a 100MWh storage.

https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/eskoms-hex-battery-the-first-of-eight-utility-scale-projects-being-deployed-across-four-provinces-2023-11-09

I'm just surprised that this is said to be for charging from the grid, and not tied to any renewable energy projects yet.

9 hours ago, Bobster. said:

Yes. This is the bit I can't get my head around. Not on a national level. Maybe City Power can use my electrons, but they won't get to Durban. 

Though I suppose if PV in Jhb is reducing load, Eskom can send a bit more somewhere else.

So for me that's the real value to Eskom in rooftop solar: it's a reduction of demand. 

 

When you feed in to the grid your power is mostly used closest to where it is needed on the grid.
So e.g. if you are feeding in 1000watts AC and your neighbor on the same circuit runs his kettle you will effectively be providing him with 1000watts AC.
So your neighbor will effectively use 1000watts AC less from the eskom/muni grid.
The power you feed in will always go to the closest point of draw/load.
Chances are pretty slim that your power will ever go far beyond your local transformer in your local neighborhood to be consumed.

9 hours ago, Bobster. said:

Though I suppose if PV in Jhb is reducing load, Eskom can send a bit more somewhere else.

Which then confirms your statement above and below

9 hours ago, Bobster. said:

So for me that's the real value to Eskom in rooftop solar: it's a reduction of demand.

 

3 hours ago, GreenFields said:

One more source on the topic, confirming that it's a 100MWh storage.

https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/eskoms-hex-battery-the-first-of-eight-utility-scale-projects-being-deployed-across-four-provinces-2023-11-09

I'm just surprised that this is said to be for charging from the grid, and not tied to any renewable energy projects yet.

Charge in the wee hours, then release at 16:00? Same principle as pump storage.

12 hours ago, Bobster. said:

Yes. This is the bit I can't get my head around. Not on a national level. Maybe City Power can use my electrons, but they won't get to Durban. 

Though I suppose if PV in Jhb is reducing load, Eskom can send a bit more somewhere else.

So for me that's the real value to Eskom in rooftop solar: it's a reduction of demand. 

And this is why we need details of the City's SSEG offering. If we're stuck with being net consumers then frankly why does anybody bother? Over 4.5 years now I have averaged 2.28 kWh per day. So I could sell them 2.27. If I have to be a net consumer then the  load I take off the grid far exceeds what I could feed back in (working my system harder in the process) and with no trouble to City Power nor Eskom.

It would also help to know if they're going to pay for the meter or the householder must pay (I suspect the latter. Paying for a meter upgrade was always part of converting to pre-paid, but that was 100s, not 1000s).

4 hours ago, GreenFields said:

One more source on the topic, confirming that it's a 100MWh storage.

https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/eskoms-hex-battery-the-first-of-eight-utility-scale-projects-being-deployed-across-four-provinces-2023-11-09

I'm just surprised that this is said to be for charging from the grid, and not tied to any renewable energy projects yet.

Thanks for adding more detail. 

I think like @Bobster. mentions around pump storage Eskom has been getting a lot of flack for not using PV and batteries at pump storage sites. Any of the generation needed to assist like the gas/diesel turbines could be from PV/battery. We have seen the methods are there but hey so many need the Eskom cash cow even now. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

Illegal connections removed would also have helped Eskom if there was the will to improve matters for ALL...... 

Edited November 12, 20232 yr by Scorp007

7 hours ago, Scorp007 said:

Illegal connections removed would also have helped Eskom if there was the will to improve matters for ALL...... 

This is happening all over the country. Especially in Johannesburg, where City Power, in there area of responsibility, are cutting off and publicising the cut offs. 

Some of the sites that are being disconnected raise eyebrows. Telkom are a repeat offender (though they may have come to an arrangement with the City since a couple of well publicised cut offs a few weeks ago). They have cut off whole shopping malls. An up market country club and several walled estates owed millions and were cut off. 

The fondness of not paying is very widely spread. 

This is a hard fight to win. In several cases City Power disconnected sites months ago. Then they get a tip off, return, and find bridged connections inside sub stations. So now they are physically removing the cable that feeds the site. 

In one case they found an unplanned, totally unofficial mini substation. This was removed with a big crane. No word yet on who installed it and who earned money from it.

Do not think disconnecting is not happening. It is. 

On 2023/11/12 at 5:22 PM, Bobster. said:

 

In one case they found an unplanned, totally unofficial mini substation. This was removed with a big crane. No word yet on who installed it and who earned money from it.

Aha, so somebody found the missing substation for which the Pretoria rate payers paid about R250mil. That one for which all the plans and paperwork were completed and signed off but the stand was empty and no substation could be found. HaHa