Shifting purpose: Beyond crisis management

By Patrick Narbel, GoSolr Co-founder and CTO

In South Africa, chronic load shedding has driven consumers to seek reliable and consistent alternative power sources such as back-up systems with and without solar panels. However, there’s a risk that these measures are a grudge purchase to solve an immediate concern rather than fully appreciating the long-term sustainability benefits of back-up solutions coupled with solar panels, such as savings on electricity expenditure, job creation and benefits to the environment. What’s imperative now is to broaden our vision and advocate for a shift within the industry that transcends crisis management and embraces the move toward sustainable energy practices for consumers, electricity suppliers and the environment, by shifting the focus to savings and sustainability, we can expand the solar narrative from managing crises to building a foundation for long-term resilience. Subscribing to solar energy as a service has broad and critical social benefits, including enhanced energy security, cost savings and decreased dependence on fossil fuels, to name a few. They can reduce losses in the electric grid and potentially delay or eliminate the need for reinvesting/making new investment to the grid as these solutions are located where the consumption is.

Educating for empowerment: r aising awareness about the long-term benefits of solar energy

Realising this transformation necessitates a concerted effort to educate and enlighten. To reshape the industry’s perspective, we must proactively engage in disseminating knowledge about the expansive benefits that solar energy carries beyond its role in loadshedding relief, advocating for sustainable policies that stimulate the growth of solar energy through increased investment in grid integration research and development initiatives. The initiatives already spearheaded by certain municipalities in South Africa show how important effective policy will be in the country’s transition to a clean energy future. For instance, the City of Cape town is working towards procuring cheaper bi-directional meters which will reduce the financial burden to feed excess energy back to the grid. They are also working towards eliminating the net consumer requirement for their customers, pioneering a world where it is easier to use roof space efficiently and feed-back more clean energy to the grid, at an attractive rate for the user and the municipality. While immediate relief from load shedding is a pressing concern, solar energy as a service offers South Africa a path toward a sustainable and resilient energy future, without stretching further the consumer’s debt and enabling savings. By reframing solar energy as more than just a short-term fix, the nation can transition towards a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous tomorrow.

Through enlightening the masses, fostering a sense of responsibility, and helping municipalities see that solar PV systems will be beneficial to them we will have the tools to reshape the perspective on solar energy. This journey is not just about alleviating load shedding. it’s about crafting a sustainable and prosperous future that hinges on the sun’s power and benefits all South Africans.