New rules for home generators, solar panels

IF you thought e-tolls were a total nightmare for consumers‚ wait until you read the new regulations that have been proposed by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa).

The Rules for Registration of Small-Scale Embedded Generation‚ the draft consultation paper published last week‚ will require you to register with Nersa before connecting your generator at your home.

The rules apply both to off-grid systems‚ with no connection to the national electricity system‚ and systems connected to the grid in any way – whether or not they are intended to feed electricity back into the grid.

Small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) includes generators‚ solar photo-voltaic panels and backup generators.

The rules state that no customer may connect to the distribution system (municipality or Eskom) without the following:

ý Submitting an application for registration to Nersa;

ý Receiving a quotation after the application from the distributor‚ paying the required connection charge/fees and signing the required connection and use of system agreement; and

ý Ensuring that the connection and the equipment used are certified to comply with all required technical standards.

On receiving the application and conclusion of the customer connection and use-of-system agreement with the distributor‚ the distributor will send the information to Nersa for registration.

To complicate matters‚ it is only possible to register by way of an electricity distributor – either Eskom or a municipality – even for generators that are not due to be connected to such a distributor’s system. The rules apply to all generators of less than one megawatt.

Above that level‚ the law requires the same sort of licensing as for a full-blown power station.

Eskom or a municipality responsible for distribution also has its own responsibilities.

These responsibilities include providing the customer with non-discriminatory access to its distribution system‚ except if there are objectively justifiable reasons.

The proposals are open for public comment until the end of this month. –