Country Info

South Africa

Healthcare provider Mediclinic has solar PV panels installed at 28 of its sites across the country and is gearing up to roll out a national project aimed at installing microgrids that integrate battery systems with on-site renewable energy.
Over the past few months, South Africans have enjoyed something that would have seemed miraculous only a year ago — a stable energy supply. One factor has been the government’s decision to encourage both householders and businesses to generate their own power from solar systems.
Eskom says that all grid-tied solar power systems connected to its network that are not registered with the power utility are “illegal”, even if they are not feeding electricity back into the grid.
Open access involves unbundling the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity to create a more competitive and efficient market. Kenya and South Africa have recently started moving toward an open access regime in their electricity sectors, while the US and India have been on this path for over two decades.
Multinational corporations working in renewable energy face a shortage of skilled technicians and engineers who can set up and maintain large-scale wind and solar farms. For smaller enterprises, incorporating renewable energy can reduce operational costs and enhance sustainability branding.
This year, Eskom’s high-season Ruralflex tariff is R2.69 per unit, but options from Jaltech, one of the biggest solar funders, offer rates of around R1.60 per unit. That’s a 41% savings for farmers who go solar – excluding Eskom’s fixed costs and assuming no batteries are needed.
Rifuwo Energy Partners is a black-owned, controlled and managed Independent Power Producer (IPP) specializing in investments in renewable and clean energy projects. The company has secured a 50 million South African rand (US$2.8 million) equity investment from Rifuwo Energy Partners.

Latest Documents