Tag: solar installation

The past year has seen a significant increase in the number of people looking to invest in solar technology for household use. However, despite the convenience, cost-saving and home upgrading potential that comes with renting or owning solar panels, it also comes with several risks.

While there is a growing need for renewable energy as countries around the globe seek to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels, the potential drawbacks that come with this transition cannot be ignored. In the realm of utility environments, which encompasses municipalities and renewable energy providers such as Independent Power Producers (IPPs), due consideration must be given to the critical area of power quality.

Innovations kept coming in 2023 and load shedding continues in 2024. This drives my choice of the year’s best load shedding gadgets. I have selected the best of the year’s gadgets that made life more convenient, enjoyable and manageable to ease the power outages.

As load shedding persists and solar gains popularity in South Africa, households are left with the decision of either buying or renting a solution. Solar solutions have taken centre stage in South African homes. The quest for an “always on” lifestyle has propelled consumers into a crucial crossroads: should you rent or buy your solar system?

The marriage of global expertise with local know-how cannot be overstated.  This is particularly true in the case of hyperscaler marketplace in Africa, which has enjoyed some tremendous growth in recent years. In South Africa, global cloud service providers (CSPs) like Microsoft, IBM, AWS, Oracle have expanded their cloud data centres which, in turn, has bolstered the hyperscaler market.

While electric vehicles (EVs) have been globally touted as the future of road travel – the replacement to the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that we have been driving for over 100 years – the very mention of the subject raises polarising opinions, especially in the South African market.

The draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill, which was issued on 31 July 2023, proposes the introduction of a new rooftop solar energy tax incentive for individuals in an effort to encourage South African households to invest in electricity generation capacity, and by so doing, reduce pressure on the electricity grid.

Load shedding remains a thorn in the side of all South Africans and the country’s government, and it’s no surprise that more people are considering the move to solar as a renewable alternative energy source. However, the market is fraught with danger for the unsuspecting and desperate homeowner and consumers need to inform themselves and proceed with caution.

Imagine installing a R2.5 million solar operation to power your property, only to have your property destroyed by a fire. This is the very real risk property owners face if the installation of the solar power solution is not done in accordance with regulation and South African National Standards (SANS).

By now you would be hard-pressed to find a South African who is not familiar with the terms Stage 1-6 of load shedding, or even the tongue-in-cheek, Eish-kom. All of these are used to describe the instability of the national power grid.