Eskom’s success in keeping the lights on may be dulling solar industry’s shine
Solar power helped us shake load shedding, but now the industry is starting to struggle.
John Maytham speaks with DeVilliers Botha, COO Solareff and SAPVIA deputy chair
Listen to the interview in the audio below.
Eskom has managed to deliver a consistent supply of power for over 140 days.
Botha says this is in part due to privately installed solar power.
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He notes that nearly a quarter of the electricity produced during the middle of a sunny day comes from solar installations by the public.
The installed capacity of rooftop systems in South Africa is around 7GW, and the load of the country is around 33GW
“That also eased the load on Eskom.”
- DeVilliers Botha, COO Solareff and SAPVIA deputy chair
The reduced load shedding has been good for South Africans, but not for the solar industry.
The solar company Hohm Energy reportedly entered business rescue and ceased trading due to cash flow challenges and failure to service debts.
According to Botha, several smaller companies focused on residential areas are struggling amid the consistent supply.
However, in commercial spaces, companies are continuing to switch to solar.
This is because residential areas were focused on backup in case of power cuts, while commercial spaces switched to solar because it is cheaper than the grid.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.