[quote]
In response to questions from Daily Maverick , Eskom said: “The large volumes of capacity for renewables exceeds the local network capacity and many new long-distance lines are required. This is detailed in the Transmission Development Plan 2023-2032, which expands the grid capacity connection to 44.6GW by 2032.”
…
“These transmission lines have a limited capacity and at present, when all the approved wind and solar generators in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape are generating at maximum capacity, the lines can become overloaded trying to export the power in these areas.
“The lines have thus reached their thermal limit and any additional generation that is added can cause the lines to overheat, thereby damaging the power lines,” she said.
To facilitate the roll-out of large-scale renewable power generation, investment and upgrades of the transmission network will be necessary. This issue is being encountered globally where countries have invested in renewable energy and have had to scale back on those plans due to transmission grid constraints.
“This is one of the hidden costs of renewable energy generation that is not properly accounted for and planned for and was not included in the IRP 2019 – it is going to increase the cost of renewable energy considerably in future,” said Le Roux. DM
[.quote]
Hmmm, well, I see it as swings and roundabouts.
When you decommission a coal-fired station, you actually have a grid capacity surplus in several power corridors because they are no longer being used.
Also many domestic and smaller industries will be making their own power on-site, relieving the stress on power-carrying infrastructure.
So if the Northern Cape is viewed as the only place to generate massive solar power, there will be a grid capacity shortage, but that is a Patrice Motsepe-type problem and not one that should be foisted on every electricity consumer.
However, if IPPs box clever and locate the generation where old coal generation used to be, then-No. ( ESKOM is already making land leases available for RE IPPs in these areas).
Further, if the government really incentivises local micro-generation, you will free up grid capacity.
On a side note:
There seems to be a lot of begrudging press about renewable energy in the ZA media at the moment. Mainly scaremongering about bridges that ZA may have to cross that are so distant we may never get to them.
To sort it all, one can use logic and common sense … problem is, we don’t have that in the upper echelons of Gov … not as long as Mantashe is running around.
A lot of if’s there… But anyhoo. You the business and need to decide on breakeven and profit (otherwise let Government do it hey) would you enter into solar for same cost between say Ermelo with lots of rain and cloud and some snow, or North Western Cape with lotsa Sunshine and less cloud etc etc? Even if you have grid capacity at Ermelo, and elsewhere around the coal plant, the efficiencies will quickly kill your financial plans. Why are there no big solar installs already around those areas?
In the future I see ESKOM as a grid business, making its money from transporting/wheeling power.
If an IPP needs 500km of new power line to the N.Cape instead of less sunny Komati with its existing amortised power lines, I would expect the respective wheeling fees charged to each IPP to level the playing field.
But you are probably right, government interference will ensure the Northern Cape and Karpowerships get their lines subsidized by all consumers instead of built into the IPP charges…
If, big IF, the food prices do eventually “come down” because the expenses incurred are then absorbed and going forward, “contains” future costs, this is a huge jump forward from the private sector to reduce Eskom dependency, not so?
South Africans that plan to install an inverter and battery system without solar generation capacity should be prepared to see a significant increase in their monthly electricity bill.
and
I didn’t fully expect was how much more electricity I would use every month after installing a battery and inverter system earlier this year.
and
Our calculations assume the batteries are lithium-ion with an 80% depth of discharge (DoD) and disregard the efficiency of the charging system.
And then they go on to say that if you have a 5.5kWh battery, used 80% (4.4kWh) and need to charge back the 4.4kWh that was used you will need to draw 4.4kWh from the grid which you will need to pay for…
They should have sticked to covering broadband and connectivity topics, but they realized years ago they can make far more money with clickbait and the rage economy.
My pal got himself new Pylontechs. He was SO chaffed.
A month later he B&M’ed something awful, LS cost him more money!!!
I hosed myself … so, you have a “5.5kWh” bank, you use it a few times daily, cause you want the convenience of power, then you recharge “5.5.kWh” again over and over and now you B&M it costs you more!!!
… it cost him more money, does anyone think he is going to be bothered by efficiencies?
Sometimes we should not throw out the baby, bath, and bath water… keep the shampoo at least.
So their entire argument is that you now have to pay more for electricity, because you actually have it? You would have saved that amount if you were shed? Hmmm
Well, I mean, if they’re going to be complaining about the fact that it costs money they might as well include all the money ala efficiencies.
Take my install before PV as an example:
March 2023
Consumption: 492 kWh (406 kWh grid, 86 kWh battery)
From Grid: 530 kWh (406 kWh direct use, 124 kWh to battery)
So there’s another 38 kWh which I’m assuming is due to efficiencies and the inverter’s power draw.
If you want to go all dramatic like MyBroadband and use the highest band for the graphs then that’s another R122.38 in Joburg.
Or more realistically from my example. Using City Power’s 2022/23 prepaid rates incl VAT and sliding scale by first assigning grid consumption, then adding the cost of what was used from the battery and then the efficiencies etc on top:
Yeah, they are completely missing the point. There is only two extra costs:
The consumption of the inverter (this is a new appliance in your house)
The inefficiencies in charging and recharging the batteries.
I laughed a little when a lady in my suburb was complaining about her electricity bill being so much higher this month. People really have no clue. Yes, your bill was higher, but you probably used more electricity due to:
It being winter
There was less loadshedding
People complaining that their bill increased because they use more electricity should just stop and think for a bit…
Most people, most, generaliztion se dinges, have NO clue of efficiencies.
Costs them anything more, irrespective of the cause, probably them, they complain.
MyBB article is for those readers. As it is costing them more when they have UPS and batteries. They never thought it through. At least, that is what I have listened to. Me the only solar “enthusiast” among our friends.
And I lose them on battery Wh … never even get to runtime versus wattages.
Keep the “shampoo”. The article is geared toward lesser mortals, who don’t give two watts. They don’t even know their batts are being hammered, that cost coming to a wallet near them.
