South African - German Energy Programme (SAGEN)

Harmonized Solar PV Application

and Permitting Procedures in Municipalities

Christopher Gross

South African German Energy Programme (SAGEN)

SAPVIA Networking Event September 2017

Inverter data shows 685 registered

plants (~ 120 MW)

Rooftop PV market is growing fast because of strong

economic viability

Residential Normal and SSEG tariffs in selected Metros

(excl VAT) Johannesburg (City Power)

Cape Town eThekwini Nelson Mandela Bay

Current ‘normal’ residential c/kWh (high IBT)

145 200.05 129.39 170

Residential SSEG fixed charge/mth (R) (1-ph)

R440 R342 R220 R60

Residential SSEG energy charge (c/kWh) 140.65 200.05 129.39

175 peak 170 std

125 off-pk

SSEG feed-in tariff (c/kWh) 42.79 61.47 62

175 peak 170 std

125 off-pk Source: 2016 tariff documents from each municipality.

SSEG tariffs available on

NERSA website

Electricity > Pricing and

Tariffs > Tariffs > Local

Authorities

… now up to NERSA to define

regulatory rules. Main issues might

include:

- Require distribution network

operators to set up sound

application and registration

processes when granting grid-

connection permits

- Provide guidance on tariff design

principles

- Provide registration and reporting

requirements

Energy Efficiency (EE)Renewable Energy (RE)

Output A:

Large-scale grid-connected RE

Output B:

Small-scale embedded generation

(SSEG)

Output C:

Energy management systems in

municipalities

Output D:

Implementation of energy efficiency

measures

Objective:

National and local stakeholders use improved framework conditions for RE and EE

Structure of SAGEN-3

Support to regulatory framework (including technical

standards & guidelines)

Support to establishing a process and database for

registering SSEG

Policy and Planning

Department of Energy, NERSA

PV Green Card Quality Mechanism (PV Passport

Scheme)

Certified Installer Scheme (Reference Training,

Assessment, Qualification, Installation Guidelines)

www.pvgreencard.co.za

Market Development & Quality Assurance

Private Sector, Skills Development Institutions

Distribution Network Planning & Operations

Municipalities

Standardized application / permitting procedures

Training for municipalities through SALGA

Development of grid impact assessment methodologies

Tariff design modelling

Discussion of new business models

AMEU SSEG Resource Pack

1. Requirements for Embedded Generation

2. SSEG Supply Contract

3. SSEG Application Form

4. SSEG Commissioning Form

5. SSEG Decommissioning Form

http://www.cityenergy.org.za/category.php?id=5#14

PV Green Card Form

(work in progress)

Further content in the pipeline

By-law amendment suggestions (Green Cape)

New version of the commissioning report which includes optional

commissioning test procedures for municipal inspectors (City of

Tshwane)

Application approval checklist

Application process flow chart

Application process flow chart with PV Green Card

Technical Solar PV Training for Municipalities

Jan/March 2017: Training sessions at North

West University / Suncybernetics

Administration through South African Local

Government Association (SALGA)

So far participants from more than 25

different municipalities

2 additional 5-day training sessions in 2017

Provisional website: https://sseg.co.za/wp/

Password: STCpotch

Training content building blocks

New Roles for South African Municipalities in

Renewable Energy

Discussion Papers:

• New Business Models for Municipalities in

Electricity and Energy Sector – German

Approaches

http://www.cityenergy.org.za/uploads/resource

_406.pdf

• New Roles for South African Municipalities in

Renewable Energy - A Review of Business

Models

http://www.cityenergy.org.za/uploads/resource

_429.pdf

Impact of Small Scale Solar PV Embedded

Generation (SSEG) on Tshwane’s revenue

• Impact of solar PV SSEG introduction on

municipal revenue in the City of Tshwane

to inform policy and support SSEG tariff

setting.

http://www.cityenergy.org.za/uploads/res

ource_431.pdf

Best practice Solar PV installation guidelines

www.pvgreencard.co.za

GIZ-Eskom Power System Studies

2017 2014 2011

Thank you very much

for your attention. Christopher Gross

South African German Energy Programme (SAGEN)

Christopher.gross@giz.de

Backup

Covered:

• Installations up to 1MVA (although different conditions apply above or below 350kVA –

see later)

• Installations connected to low voltage networks

• Installations where customers remain net consumers (consume more electricity from the

grid than they generate on average)

Not covered:

• Systems above 1MW (anyone wanting to connect a SSEG system greater than 1MW will

not be able to connect under the conditions of these requirements). Systems of 1MW or

smaller do not require a generating licence from NERSA.

• Wheeling regulations

• The connection of SSEG to the Eskom electrical grid.

• Systems connecting to MV and HV networks (although the NRS 097-1 standards

covering MV and HV connections are not complete , such systems may be approved by

the municipality, but are likely to require grid impact studies and should be discussed

separately with the municipality)

• Installations where customers are net generators (generate more than they consume on

average)

• Non solar PV forms of generation (options such as wind and hydro will be included in

future versions)

+ Sol Plaatje

Installed Capacity in 2016 and assumed capacities in

2020 and 2030

2. Standardization of processes

PV Green Card could be nationally/locally

integrated into the application process

(application form not signed) & the

commissioning process (commissioning report

signed + CoC)

In Germany the PV passport includes

automatically generated forms for registering the

system with the federal grid agency and with the

grid operator.

In Germany the storage passport became

prerequisite for receiving the subsidy from KfW

bank.

2. Standardization of processes

2. Standardization of processes

PV Green Card programme captures data that

could theoretically be „cross-populated“ into

other data registration systems

SAPVIA is happy to provide access to data

that is captured under the PV Green Card

programme

CURRENTLY: GreenCardregistration number of installer gives comfort to municipality regarding technical competence of installer.FUTURE: GreenCard and Municipal Application forms are aligned

CURRENTLY: GreenCardcertification may give munics comfort in commissioning so they only inspect large systemsFUTURE: GreenCard is able to give strong enough assurances to munics around commissioning and installer accountability so they need to inspect only unusually large systems

CURRENTLY: GreenCardregistration provides assurance of NRS097-2-1 compliance, simplifying application assessment requirements of the municipality.