Does South Africa have a battery storage system?

Matzner notes that South Africa has already made some progress in the deployment of battery storage systems, which can typically provide up to four to five hours of energy storage.

Why is energy storage important in South Africa?

But as South Africa changes its model for producing and distributing electricity, the demand for energy storage solutions is likely to rise. As coal-fired power plants are decommissioned and renewable energy sources – typically intermittent – are increasingly adopted, reliable and efficient energy storage is coming more and more to the fore.

Is back-up power a solution to South Africa's energy crisis?

The current energy crisis in South Africa, coupled with the decreasing cost for energy storage systems, will see the market for back-up power as a replacement for diesel generation and solar PV hybrid increase.

Why is solar storage important in South Africa?

The storage aspect is important because this transition involves the move into energy sources such as wind and solar. According to The Economist magazine, the amount of installed solar capacity in South Africa has risen from 2.8GW to 7.8GW, and this excludes solar capacity installed in homes.

What challenges are facing the battery storage market in South Africa?

A lot of municipalities have a lot of vacant land, which can be utilised for storage.” Another challenge facing the battery storage market in South Africa is the reliance on imported equipment, the bulk of which is sourced from countries such as China and South Korea.

Are battery storage solutions sold as a service?

Very few projects have been installed using a power purchase agreement model where the battery storage solutions are sold as a service. An office block with a very high energy demand and roof space for a 100kWp solar PV system is investigating options for energy independence.