Solar: The Rules Don’t Add Up

Eskom’s 31 March 2026 deadline for registering residential solar PV and battery energy storage (BES) systems is looming, with minimal uptake of their demand to register by customers. Not because households are unwilling to comply, but because the rules are unclear, inconsistent, and in some cases, unlawful.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has raised serious concerns about parallel compliance processes introduced by Eskom Distribution and certain municipal electricity distributors. These processes apply to systems installed behind the electricity meter on private property, despite existing national legislation, regulations, and mandatory safety and technical standards that already govern safety and technical compliance.

“Households are being asked to comply twice for the same system. That is not regulation. That is overreach,” says Wayne Duvenage, CEO of OUTA.

South Africa already has a clear legal framework for electrical installations. Systems must meet defined safety and technical standards and be certified through a valid Certificate of Compliance issued by a registered electrical contractor. That is the law. Any additional requirements must align with it; they cannot duplicate it, they cannot override it. “Eskom cannot rewrite the rules because it suits them. The law is clear, and it must be applied consistently,” Duvenage adds.

Instead, Eskom and some municipalities are applying fragmented and inconsistent rules. The result is confusion, rising compliance costs, and growing resistance from households trying to do the right thing.

At a time when South Africans are investing their own money to secure energy supply and reduce pressure on the grid, this approach is counterproductive.

OUTA supports proper safety oversight, which is not in dispute. What is in dispute is regulatory overreach.

OUTA’s advice to residential customers

OUTA has published a detailed background on Eskom and municipal solar registration requirements, setting out the legal context and why these additional processes are being challenged, this is available on OUTA’s website.

It is OUTA’s position that homeowners with solar PV battery systems, or those planning to install, should:

• Use accredited, experienced installers
• Ensure your system has a valid Certificate of Compliance issued by a registered electrician or electrical contractor recognised by the Department of Employment and Labour

A valid Certificate of Compliance is lawful proof that your system meets all required safety and technical standards. Eskom or municipal registration processes that fall outside national legal requirements.

It is further OUTA’s position that if a system does not feed electricity back into the grid, or the homeowner does not want to be compensated for exported energy, and the system has a valid Certificate of Compliance, the homeowner may choose to forgo Eskom or municipal registration processes that fall outside national legal requirements.

Where a system both imports from and exports electricity into the grid, and the homeowner wants to be compensated for exported energy, registration with the electricity provider is required.

If a law-abiding homeowner with a valid Certificate of Compliance receives formal notice of disconnection, OUTA recommends that the action should be challenged. Legal advice should be sought to oppose any enforcement that is not supported by law.

The answer to the residential solar PV/BES registration confusion is not more red tape. It is consistent, lawful, and technically sound regulation that supports, rather than obstructs, safe installation, protects consumers, and enables households to secure their own energy supply. Get the rules right, apply them consistently, and respect the rights of people who are acting within the law.