SFPO Power Security Project.

While the temperatures have dropped considerably, and some of us are doing school runs in 11-degree conditions, the cold weather is yet to come. June gets cold and dark, but July to September are when we tend to hold up and keep warm as the cold fronts move up from Cape Town and blast our area.

This year will be worse than ever, with the load-shedding schedules set to increase in time and frequency. It’s coming, and whether stage 8 or 9 or more, things will get much more severe before the long, warm summer days arrive.

The St Francis Property Owners Association’s project on assisting in setting up residents and business owners with solar and backup systems has seen tremendous interest, as well as individuals taking the plunge and getting their homes and businesses sorted out with solar power.

Some people might not yet understand the gravity of the situation, and the SFPO Association would like to urge anyone to find out more about what they offer by perusing the project documentation here.

In a nutshell, the document explains various solar installations available and recommended by approved vendors, as well as the capacity of each system and cost implications. While the SFPO has recommended vendors in both the solar and water harvesting categories, they also understand that many other vendors offer similar, well-priced products and installations. Users are encouraged to utilize any company or individual they are comfortable with but are encouraged to get something up to ensure that they have some power security for the coming months.

Winter is coming, and stage 8 load shedding with it - Here’s what that means for you

The SFPO Association has recognized the following two vendors in the solar category:

Genergy - (Kevin Slabbert) https://genergy.co.za/

Kouga Renewables - (Frank Ellis, Andrew Steen) https://kougarenewables.co.za/ We know that there are many more, and while we are working with Kouga Renewables and Genergy, we recognize that other vendors may provide equally satisfactory services and installations. We suggest you use our services if you struggle to contact a provider. then please call Lyn Aitken at the SFPO’s office at 042-294-0594 or 082- 777-5624 or email Lyn at info@sfpo.co.za

Lyn will ask Nigel Aitken or Barend van der Westhuizen to contact you directly to discuss the solution(s) you want to install. They are contracted to the SFPO Association to assist you with choosing and installing these solutions.

Tough choices for South Africa as stage 10 load shedding looms

Following the Eskom methodology, Stage 12. will be when electricity users have no power for three-quarters of the day. Put differently; you will only have energy for six hours each day (in three two-hour slots). It will be impossible to successfully run a business in this situation, even with a generator as backup.

While the situation looks dire, there are solutions out there, as well as several payment plan options. Wouldn’t it be good if we were to rise against what is looking more and more like an impossible situation and have our village continue to run as smoothly as possible, with people looking after themselves and helping out where necessary? Remember that very positive tax rebates are currently available, particularly regarding setting up solar systems for business backups 9 (up to 125%). In addition, domestic instals can claw back up to 25% on panels, which is also positive.

There is also the possibility of purchasing second-hand equipment from people who are upgrading. Unfortunately, sometimes the existing equipment isn’t compatible with the upgrades, and perfectly working equipment will come onto the market at a significant discount. We will expound more on this later and discuss the various means to purchase such equipment, ensuring it is compatible with the system you would like to install.

For now, the SFPO Association would like to help. There are also payment plans through various registered financial services providers.

The SFPO Association understands that a property owner must register the solar installation with the Kouga Municipality to ensure it complies with Municipal specifications. Insurance companies have indicated that if a solar system is not registered with the local Municipality, it will result in the Insurance company refusing to pay out a claim on the property resulting from the solar system.

The SFPO Association has secured the services of Mr Frank Harpur to consult where required with insurance considerations.