KATAWA PROJECTS / CAPE TOWN

Solar Export & Bidirectional Meter Readiness Cape Town

Explore whether an existing PV installation is suitable for lawful export of surplus electricity and what must be prepared before the municipality changes the meter or tariff.

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Solar & Backup Power / Cape Town

Service assessment and practical solutions

First confirm the electricity supply authority

A property within the City of Cape Town electricity supply area follows City application and metering arrangements; an Eskom-supplied property follows a different process. The owner’s electricity account and point of connection establish who must approve export. Not every existing solar system was designed to feed electricity into the network, and an approved generation installation does not automatically mean the property is approved for export. We begin with the supply authority, the current authorisation documents and the inverter model.

Review export capability and protection

A system configured to prevent grid export may need approved changes before feed-in is possible. The inverter must meet the applicable approval requirements, and the export arrangement may require compatible controls, protection and professional sign-off. We look at the system’s single-line diagram and existing metering interface where available. Reprogramming the inverter without permission or bypassing anti-islanding protection is not an acceptable shortcut. A suitability review should state which technical and administrative prerequisites are outstanding.

Understand the bidirectional meter and tariff decision

Export requires the correct metering and account arrangements. A normal import-only meter cannot simply be assumed to record export safely or correctly. The City may specify meter accommodation, an export-capable tariff and work to the point of connection. These costs and tariff conditions are separate from the labour to adjust a PV system. We encourage owners to compare realistic surplus generation with any fixed costs or changes to their bill before deciding that export is financially worthwhile.

Prepare documents before any authorised switch-on

The authorisation path involves the municipal process, suitable drawings and professional commissioning sign-off where applicable. Application and commissioning stages should not be conflated: permission to install is not final permission to energise or export. We can review what information an installer or approved specialist would need from the existing system. A property owner should retain the approval correspondence, electrical documentation and final commissioning records for future upgrades or sale.

Recognise the situation

Common enquiries and what changes the job

Existing solar runs on zero export

A metering change might be possible only after checking inverter capability and municipal approval.

Owner wants credit for daytime surplus

Before committing to export, compare the tariff structure, expected surplus and City metering requirements.

PV system was fitted by a previous owner

Locate its authorisation and commissioning records before requesting export modifications.

Before booking

Information that helps define the work

Share the electricity bill’s supply authority, inverter brand/model, PV size and available SSEG documents. Do not send passwords to the monitoring portal.

Tell us whether the aim is bill credits, a property sale, an expansion or a metering problem; these lead to different assessments.

Quotation scope

What affects the cost and work programme?

Utility area and existing authorisation
Inverter approval and export configuration
Bidirectional metering and account changes
Drawings and professional sign-off
Scope of testing after authorised changes

Where applicable in the City of Cape Town electricity supply area, new solar PV/battery systems and relevant system changes must follow the City authorisation process. Professional sign-off and suitable approved inverters are important requirements; never activate an unauthorised modified system.

For applicable local requirements, see the City of Cape Town: embedded generation authorisation and metering. We confirm the current conditions before proposing work.

Frequently asked questions

Solar Export & Bidirectional Meter Readiness: customer questions

Can any solar system sell surplus power?

No. Export eligibility depends on the supply authority, authorised equipment, metering and account conditions.

Is a standard prepaid meter enough?

Not automatically. The authority specifies metering and tariffs for export-capable installations.

Can the inverter be changed to export before approval?

Changes that affect grid interaction require the proper approval path; unauthorised energising or exporting is unsafe.