Going green in Robertson?

Posted by Balbina on Tue July 28, 2020 in Environmental Friendly.

The private electricity production is not harming anyone except ‘those state-owned enterprises and local municipalities that are now bearing the brunt of their efforts to have South Africans use less electricity from local suppliers’. It's time for a change.

GOING SOLAR IN ROBERTSON. The proof in the pudding.

GUBAS DE HOEK meet eat sleep is allocated as a green guest house in Robertson. We did have perfectly working PV on the roof since 2013 and in 2020 we became a victim of the “going solar policy” in Robertson.

My efforts to solve the problem directly with the head of the electrical engineering department failed. I was told: “Solar energy will never pay off and should it start to pay off, we increase the fees.” He is right, but this could be changed easily. PV energy investments could pay off quickly. In Robertson, one can put max put 3,5 kW on the roof. One has to change from prepaid to a 2-way meter.

A monthly basic fee of R 450 applies
+ about R 6300 for the requested meter (Only 1 brand/type is allowed, overprized).
+ The application requests a special PV engineer about R 6000.

The system in South Africa works more or less as follows: The government/municipalities are
1. creating and controlling the laws and bylaws 
2. owning the grid
3. selling ESKOM energy as monopolist! They don’t want any competitors!

Residents are suffering from capped energy for geysers and load sheddings. Businesses have to spend a fortune in backup generators. 

THERE IS ENOUGH DEMAND FOR EVERYONE!

South Africa is a wonderful country with plenty of sun and wind for energy.  There are investors, installers and great people with knowledge to get the country green. Let us work together! Share this message. Approach the officials for public hearings. Ask for green energy!

“When people are determined they can overcome anything.” N. Mandela
#goinggreen #greenguesthouse #staygreeninRobertson

Further Reading

Going green is not for Sissies! Tue October 20, 2020

16 Whitehouse, our self-catering unit is off-grid. It gets the power from our Photovoltaic panels on the roof. The time, where one thinks green and built up PV on the roof and generate electricity with an inverter is over.

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Natural aircon supplied by shutters
Natural Heating and cooling Thu June 25, 2020

According to hygiene experts, ventilation systems can quickly distribute germs and viruses in rooms. GUBAS DE HOEK meet eat sleep is a sustainable and responsible guest house and is offering natural heating and cooling.

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Load shedding - Our lights are still on. Fri July 1, 2022

ESKOM is currently on stage 6 for load shedding, which means about 9 hours per day, there is no electricity in the country, but not at GUBAS DE HOEK meet eat sleep. We’re investing since 2013 in renewable energy, therefore our lights are still on. To be sustainable and energy-friendly starts paying off. We don’t rely on noisy generators we rely on our battery system.

Read This Article