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“We are encouraging our consumers to install solar panels at their homes and businesses, to reduce the load we collectively need from Eskom,” said Grobbelaar. “Even those residents who have installed solar units at home, and have not been through the formal application and commissioning process, are encouraged to do so by contacting us via WhatsApp: 076 951 0768, email: engineering.services@stellenbosch.gov.za or telephone: 021 808 8343, 021 808 8215, 021 808 8345 or 021 808 8957
The application form for the connection of Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) can be found at https://stellenbosch.gov.za/…/application-for-the…/
“To date, 3,4 MW of solar installations have been successfully registered and installed by the public,” Grobbelaar added. “At this stage we anticipate that Phase 1 of the project will be completed by 31 December.”
Phase Two
According to Grobbelaar further downstream measures to reduce the impact of load shedding are also underway, and the municipality is preparing to invite external entities to generate electricity through solar farms and battery banks from within the Stellenbosch municipal boundaries.
“We will also collaborate with other Western Cape municipalities to jointly purchase electricity from existing IPPs,” he said. “We intend to investigate the construction of a solar/renewable energy plant within the Stellenbosch municipal area.”
A project to convert methane gas into the much less harmful carbon dioxide from the municipality’s landfill site was launched in January this year aiming to generate roughly 500 kW per day. In addition, studies are also being performed to look into employing gravity storage mechanisms, such as pump-storage schemes as well as green hydrogen generated from landfill sites. This process, Grobbelaar says, is likely to run up until 2026 and is a longer-term strategy being enabled concurrently with Phase 1.
“Stellenbosch Municipality wants to ensure all residents any decisions taken on our alternative-energy solutions will be served before open council. The initiatives will be implemented in stages to ensure it is affordable and does not place undue stress on our budget.”
