From Sun to Switch.

What is wheeling, who is involved, and how does it benefit SA?

Every now and then, one deviates from our current path because we are all focused on the future, but what about today? Solar energy is breaking into new territories with Wheeling introducing a load-shedding-free concept into our daily lives—undoubtedly a topic we'd all like to hear about!

Today, we’ll take a look at;

• What is wheeling and why it’s happening now
• Who is eligible to jump on board
• What is its impact on businesses in South Africa??
• What does wheeling allow

What is wheeling and why is it happening now?

Wheeling electricity refers to the movement of energy through a transmission and distribution network from a point of generation to a point of consumption. For instance, a private generator at a solar farm in Limpopo could deliver electricity to a client in Gauteng that manufactures goods, connected at Medium Voltage and on a TOU tariff.

Who is eligible to kickstart the process?

The path to a simpler life, less load shedding, fewer backup generators keeping the lights on, and less pressure on operating costs is through smart solutions. As pioneers in our field, we are always looking for ways to make daily lives and business operations simpler. When it comes to switching to wheeling, we would oversee the entire process, from regulatory requirements, and paperwork to installation and monitoring - making the setup quick and less complicated.?

Scaling with wheeling means;

• Improving business efficiency and value.
• reaching sustainability targets sooner.
• reduced electricity costs as the cost of wheel power are less than the cost of Eskom power.
• alleviate and contribute to solving the energy crisis we have in the country.
• Creating a more liveable city. Wheeling usage leads to the creation of renewable hubs and further decreases in electricity costs.
• accessing solar without having to worry about it taking up space.

Not only does wheeling allow us to bring solar energy online quicker than a traditional build would allow for, but in the long term, we see how less of an impact load shedding has on our day-to-day doings, meaning businesses can widen in other verticals. Who benefits from this, though, is still an open question. We have the answers for you!

As a solar company, we look for roof space that is at least 5000 square meters. The lessor, the company renting us the roof space, must be located in a municipality that has a published wheeling tariff, such as City Power, the City of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay, Ekurhuleni, or Eskom, and the end user needs to be a large user connected to a medium voltage.

We've included a use case below to help you understand the situation better.

• At present, XYZ Warehouse does not generate any revenue from its roof area of 15 000 square meters. By renting their roof space to us, they can generate ongoing revenue. In addition to supplying the warehouse with more cost-effective power, the solar installation creates a revenue stream and a cost-saving initiative for the company. Through this installation, power can be transferred through the grid to a consumer some distance away, helping them reduce costs and improve their journey to net zero.

What does wheeling allow?

Our future with wheeling - a society with zero carbon emissions won't experience a blackout.

As people seek solutions to keep their lights on, solar energy expands into new areas. We are starting to transport our energy in addition to monitoring, storing, and maintaining it. Eskom's function is changing to make room for private businesses. With this, we can see how the energy trading market gets closer to an accurate, timely, and fluid market price. selling to multiple private buyers and multiple private sellers.

To Conclude

We need more power than we have installed right now. By purchasing wheeling power, businesses can quickly add additional capacity and do so in a lot less time than if a system were to be built in five years. A few pilot projects are anticipated this year, and frameworks will soon be implemented in a few areas.?

For fresh content on wheeling, keep an eye out for our monthly articles, and follow our social pages.