13/10/2026
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Public Notice: Registration of Solar PV and Small-ScaleEmbedded Generation (SSEG) Systems
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality – Energy and Electricity Business Unit ·
Who this notice applies to
All Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) electricity customers with solar PV, inverters,batteries or generators connected to their electrical installation must have the Municipality's writtenapproval. This applies whether or not the system exports electricity to the grid.
Recent media coverage of Eskom's 30 September 2026 registration fee-waiver deadline applies onlyto customers supplied directly by Eskom. If your electricity account is with BCMM, Eskom'scampaign, fees and deadlines do not apply to you.
BCMM customers are governed by the BCMM
Electricity Supply By-law, 2023.
Only systems with no electrical connection to any installation supplied by BCMM fall outside thisrequirement.
The legal requirementSection 31(1) of the BCMM Electricity Supply By-law, 2023 (Provincial Notice 739 of 2023, Eastern
Cape Provincial Gazette No. 5016, 24 November 2023) states that no consumer electricity generationequipment may be connected to any installation without the prior written approval of the Municipality.
• Running generation equipment in parallel with the BCMM supply is allowed only by specialagreement with the Municipality (s31(5)).
• Exporting surplus electricity to the BCMM network is allowed only by special agreement with theMunicipality (s31(7)).
• A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) on its own does not replace the Municipality's written approval.
There is no closing date. Approval must be obtained before a system is connected, and existingunapproved systems must apply now.
What to submit
Applications must be made in writing (s31(2)) and include:
1 A full specification of the generation equipment (panels, inverter, batteries or generator, withratings in kVA or kW).
2 A wiring diagram of the installation.
3 A valid electrical Certificate of Compliance for the SSEG installation, issued by a registeredelectrical contractor authorised to install SSEG.
4 [Confirm: inverter test certificate (NRS 097-2-1) and any other documents required by theElectricity Department.]
Technical conditions:
• The system must be designed and installed so that it cannot back-feed and energise the BCMMsupply mains (s31(3)).
• The customer must provide and install all protective equipment, including equipment that isolatesthe installation from the network during a power failure (s31(4) and s31(8).
Equipment running in parallel with the supply must have synchronising and protective equipmentto the Municipality's satisfaction (s31(6)).
Tariffs and metering
Approved residential and business customers may apply for BCMM's SSEG tariff, listed in section 1.3of the 2026/27 BCMM Tariff Book.
• The SSEG tariff is revenue neutral: electricity exported is credited to the account only up to thecustomer's own consumption.
• Application, connection and metering fees are set in the annual Tariff Book.
• Any specialised metering equipment required is for the customer's account (s31(9)).
Consequences of not obtaining approval
Unapproved systems put municipal staff working on the network at risk of serious injury fromback-feed.
The By-law therefore gives the Municipality the following powers:
• Disconnection without notice where photovoltaic systems, generators or inverters have beeninstalled without permission from the Municipal Manager or delegated authority (s15(2)(c)).
• Disconnection without notice where back-feed onto the BCMM network may cause seriousinjury to personnel (s15(2)(d)).
• Disconnection costs are for the customer's account (s15(3)).
• Authorised officials may enter premises at reasonable hours to inspect installations and checkcompliance (s10).
• Contraventions of the By-law are subject to the offences and penalties in Chapter 12.
How to apply
BCMM participates in the national SSEG Online Application Portal. Customers must register theirsystems online at apply.sseg.org.za, the same portal used for systems that export to the grid and for
own-use or back-up systems.
Customers are advised to have the application submitted through a registered electrical contractorwhose installation electrician is authorised to install SSEG systems and issue the Certificate of
Compliance.
The contractor's compliance documents form part of the application and approval
process.
Steps:
1 Appoint a registered electrical contractor authorised to install SSEG.
2 The contractor (or customer) registers as an applicant on apply.sseg.org.za and selects Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
3 Capture the application and upload the required documents listed above.
4 Track progress on the portal profile until approval is issued.
For help with an application, contact the Buffalo City Metro Electricity Department on 086 111 3017and ask for the Electricity Planning section.
The full Electricity Supply By-law, 2023 is available on the BCMM website (www.buffalocity.gov.za).
Issued by: Buffalo City Metropolitan
Municipality
