The news that South Africa will once again experience load shedding after almost ten months this not being necessary, is a sad setback. However, the solar PV industry association body SAPVIA says it is important to keep an eye on the bigger picture.
“The nation is understandably not happy with the news we received today. We were all excited about celebrating one full year of uninterrupted power supply at the end of March but this will now clearly no longer be possible,” says Dr Rethabile Melamu, CEO of SAPVIA.
“It is important to acknowledge that a lot of hard work and collaboration had brought us to this point. As the Minister of Electricity said in a recent media briefing, we are very much on the right track. The trend lines are moving in the right direction, and we are close to seeing an end to load shedding. Our power picture looks a lot better thanks to dedicated action on the part of the Government and other stakeholders,” she adds.
As the nation prepares for a resumption of loadshedding, Melamu says it is important not to lose focus and not to lose hope.
“This is indeed a sad setback, but our work needs to continue. We are within touching distance of the finish line. I call on all stakeholders and role players to remain committed to finally ending load shedding permanently. We need to fully utilise the contribution that solar solutions can make for our goal of an energy-secure future, one that is resilient and growing.”
