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Renewable Energy Projects

Enquiries
Mr Aphiwe Matiwane amatiwane@george.gov.za or 044-803 9222

Frequently Asked Questions on SSEGs

The George Municipality encourages the responsible use of alternative energy and has measures in place to facilitate the registration of such equipment, also known as Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) systems. SSEGs are mostly generated by the sun, also known as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, but can also be technologies related to wind and biogas.

Registration of SSEGs with the George Municipality is important because:

  • You can earn financial credit if your system feeds energy back into the electricity grid.
  • The municipality uses the information to gage the impact of SSEGs on the city’s electricity grid and can plan and act accordingly.
  • Connecting an SSEG system to the grid can pose a safety risk and the municipality must therefore ensure that generating equipment is approved and installed in the correct manner as set out by the national standard NRS 097.
  • The municipality must ensure that the installed SSEG system does not interfere with the quality of its electricity supply as set out by the national standard NRS 048.
  • The information is reported to government and other stakeholders to inform the bigger picture.
  • The municipality finance department can verify the source of noteworthy revenue impacts – for example, it will explain why an electricity bill drops significantly after the installation of a solar geyser and panels.

Individuals, businesses and organisations wanting to install alternative energy sources and equipment in the George municipal area must follow the following procedures:

  • Find an accredited, professional service provider who is registered as an Electrical Contractor with the department of Employment and Labour. This will confirm that the company or individual is able to issue a valid Certificate of Compliance (COC) after installation. Also verify if that the company has an ECSA registered Professional who will sign off the commissioning and ensure that the installation complies with National regulations.
  • Customers can use the online web-based platform to register via  https://apply.sseg.org.za/ You first have to register as an applicant to create login credentials, select *George Municipality* and then begin registration. We recommend that the customer let their installer fill in the application form as it contains some technical questions.
  • Documents Required for the Online Application
    A customer’s ID copy,
    a preliminary schematic diagram and the inverter’s datasheet/model number.
  • The municipality will assess the impact on the electricity grid and inform the applicant and service provider if they can proceed with installation.
  • The applicant must inform the municipality once installation has been completed, after which a municipal technician will inspect the installation and request a copy of the Certificate of Compliance (COC) from the installer.
  • Any additions or alterations to an existing SSEG system must follow the same procedure as above.
  • Parallel to this, the customer must apply for Building Plans to the Building Control department. For smaller solar installations, this is classified as minor building works. This is done on the municipal collaborator portal: https://westerncape.collaboratoronline.com/default.aspx. 
  • The Electrotechnical department can issue a Permission to Install letter once the grid requirements of the proposed solar installation are met, with a condition that the customer has to apply for building plans within 3 months.
  • After Installation, the Installer should go back to the online portal to upload a CoC, an as built diagram and get the ECSA registered Professional to fill in and sign the commissioning report.
  • The customer then has to sign the supplemental contract for embedded generation.
    Follow this link to download the GM Renewable Energy Contract that requires signature and which must be submitted to matiwane@george.gov.za
  • Once all of that is done, the Electrotechnical department will issue a Permission to Generate letter, which wraps up the process.
  • It is the customers responsibility to ensure that they have the Municipal approved meter should they wish to feed power back to the Municipal grid and that they have changed to be on a Time of Use (TOU) tariff. This can be done at the Municipal Cashiers Hall or email accounts@george.gov.za  to request an application form.

 What are your options in terms of choosing which Amperage you will need for your home?

  • Registered customers on solar panels will no longer be charged a mandatory minimum of 40 Amps Capacity fixed costs.
  • As with every other electricity customer, registered solar panel customers can choose their preferred Amp capacity – BUT – they cannot be on a 20 Amp capacity with no fixed costs.
  • Should they select a 20 Amp capacity level, a minimum monthly fixed cost of as per tariff 1.C will be charged.
  • Consumption cost per unit remains the same.
  • Until a selection choice is exercised, a deemed capacity of 40 Amp will continue to be used for monthly billing purposes.
    If the customer choses a higher than 20 Amp capacity, the relevant charges as per tariff 1.C will be applied.

Why must you pay for access to electricity if you have solar panels?

  • The municipality buys electricity directly from Eskom for distribution within the George Municipal area. There are no alternative suppliers. Therefore, the cost increases granted by NERSA to Eskom directly impact the municipality.
  • Besides these direct costs to purchase electricity from Eskom, the municipality also incurs cost to maintain the electricity distribution network and other related overhead cost needed to supply the electricity service to consumer homes and businesses. These costs are known as fixed cost and variable costs.
  • Section 74 of the Municipal Systems Act requires that municipal tariffs must be cost reflective and sustainable. This means that the municipality must ensure that the tariff charges recover sufficient revenue to offset the cost of buying electricity from Eskom and then supplying that electricity within the municipal area. Thus, the cost to the customer must cover at least the municipalities’ cost to enable the service.
  • The basic or fixed cost component is meant to cover the cost associated with the maintenance of the infrastructure network. It is not an “availability charge” – this is an incorrect term. It is the tariff portion related to the electrical network infrastructure.
  • The variable cost or consumption charge is meant to cover the variable costs such as the bulk electricity purchases from Eskom, the network operating and related overhead costs.

For SSEG queries contact Mr Aphiwe Matiwane amatiwane@george.gov.za or 044-803 9222
For SSEG TOU Tariff selection contact accounts@george.gov.za for an application form
For queries on SSEG applicable tariffs and selection of Amperage, contact accounts@george.gov.za