Renewable energy solutions provider Impower Solar has welcomed the news that it has been 120 days without the need for Eskom to implement loadshedding. Eskom said that this milestone signals a dramatic improvement in the stability and overall performance of the national grid, in a recent media briefing.
"We extend our congratulations to Eskom and its teams for this achievement, however we note that electricity demand has severely reduced this year, compared to previous years" said Matthew Cruise, Impower’s business development executive. "The improvement in the grid's health is a testament to focused efforts on maintenance and recovery, but it is also a demonstration of how the rapid adoption of renewable energy, particularly solar, is playing an indispensable role in South Africa's energy future."
The latest data shows a promising trajectory for the grid. Eskom's unplanned capacity loss factor has been on a downward trend, averaging around 11,524 MW, a significant improvement from the 15,934 MW recorded during the same period last year. This has contributed to a sustained improvement in the Energy Availability Factor, which has seen an approximately 8.1% increase year-on-year, reaching 63.3% as of September 2024.
According to Cruise, the uptake of rooftop solar has been a key contributing factor in this success. He points to data that shows electricity demand from Eskom continues to trend downward, with total energy demand being 3% lower, at 219.6TWh vs 225.9TWh last year. Peak demand was also 1% lower than last year, at 33.5GW vs 33.9GW. This can be mostly attributed to the increasing growth of private sector solar generation.
This reduced pressure on the grid allows Eskom to conduct more planned maintenance and avoid the use of costly diesel-powered turbines, with a massive reduction of approximately R11.33 billion in diesel expenditure between April and September 2024 compared to the previous year.
"This milestone proves what we have been saying for years," added Cruise.
"Renewable energy is not a competitor to Eskom; it is a critical partner in stabilising the national grid. The decentralised nature of solar power, where generation occurs closer to the point of consumption, alleviates pressure on the transmission and distribution networks, making the entire system more resilient. While we still have challenges to overcome, this achievement gives us confidence that a future without loadshedding is not just a dream, it is an achievable reality when private industry embraces the benefits of solar."
