The future of solar PV in South Africa: Insights from industry experts

SOUTH African Photovoltaic Industry Association (Sapvia) in an interview with Business Report said that they believe there is still a big future for the Solar PV industry despite a significant reduction in loadshedding by Eskom.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

Frank Spencer, the spokesperson for Sapvia, said the association sees the solar PV industry in South Africa as the most important component of future electricity supply.

"Solar PV is already being deployed at all scales in South Africa, from small home rooftop systems to large solar farms spanning many hundreds of hectares.

In all these cases, solar PV is providing the lowest cost source of new electricity to South Africans, whether through private installations or through public supply by Eskom and municipalities."

Solar offers low costs, clean electricity, deployable at all scales, and when coupled with battery storage, can also provide reliable electricity outside of sunshine hours.

"The rapid deployment of Solar PV significantly helped to reduce load shedding," Spencer said. "However, South Africa still needs to build many more new clean power plants to help the economy grow and also to replace the old polluting coal power plants as they are decommissioned. Thus, solar PV will be a major contributor for decades to come.

Solar is perhaps the most important technology as it is the lowest cost source of clean electricity and will be a major contributor to South Africa's carbon emission reduction goals, he said.