Cape Town – South Africans with rooftop solar systems are facing renewed pressure to ensure their installations are properly registered and compliant, with Eskom warning that unsafe systems could be disconnected from the electricity network.
According to BusinessTech, Eskom’s latest position forms part of a broader effort to bring privately generated electricity into the formal electricity system as more households reduce their reliance on the national grid.
Eskom has previously warned that small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems must be registered with the relevant electricity network operator. In January, the utility said systems below 100kVA must be registered and comply with grid-code requirements.
“All systems under 100 kilovolt-amperes (kVA) must be registered with the network service provider (Eskom or municipalities),” Eskom said.
The utility subsequently extended its registration-fee waiver for qualifying residential solar installations to 30 September 2026, giving homeowners more time to bring their systems into compliance. For Eskom customers, the waiver covers registration and connection fees of up to R10,000 for systems of up to 50kW.
The deadline is significant because unregistered or unsafe installations can expose homeowners to penalties and, in serious cases, disconnection.
EWN previously reported that households and businesses with qualifying rooftop solar systems were being urged to register before the deadline to avoid the applicable connection costs.
The latest warning comes as Eskom grapples with a changing electricity market. Eskom’s electricity sales fell from 189.7TWh to 178.0TWh in the year to March 2026, partly because customers have increasingly turned to self-generation and wheeling.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
