Average utility scale ESS price per 50MW in South Africa

Does SseG cost more than a utility-scale solar system?

Nonetheless, these technologies exhibit clear economies of scale meaning that smaller systems result in higher per unit costs than larger-scale installations . In South Africa, the cost per unit, measured in R/kWp, of a residential SSEG system can be more than double that of a utility-scale solar PV system .

Why is Eskom's electricity demand declining compared to 2023?

Demand for electricity continues to trend down, peak demand is 1% lower for this time of the year compared to the peak in 2023 due to rapid growth of the private sector embedded generation. ➢ Eskom fleet installed capacity remained unchanged in 2024 compared to 2023, energy generated from coal is relatively higher due to improved EAF.

Does residential rooftop SseG cost more than utility-scale PV?

At the point of 20% penetration, the cumulative capacity is 2.3GW, and the system cost of residential SSEG with load shifting is slightly lower than utility-scale PV. Figure 5 presents a waterfall graph of this point to show the difference in the system cost impact of a system with 2.3 GW residential rooftop SSEG vs 2.3 GW of utility scale PV.

Will NERSA increase Eskom's electricity tariffs?

Eskom’s aggregated tariffs increased by 190% since 2014, which is much higher than the average annual inflation rate of 5.2% over the same period. Electricity prices are already above utility-scale solar PV LCOE of R/kWh 0.5, the proposed NERSA tariff increase of 12.74% pushes the average tariff to c/kWh 195.93.

How much does SseG cost?

The amount of SSEG is kept constant at 40% of peak, or 2.3GW of PV. Figure 8 presents the cost elements that contribute to the commercial SSEG system cost impact. The upfront capital cost of the 2.3 GW of SSEG is R3.03 billion (far-right blue bar), while the utility-scale solar PV is only slightly cheaper at R2.52 billion.

Why did Eskom's electricity tariff increase in 2023?

This iteration also examined national average electricity tariff increases and compared it to the tariff in other countries. Eskom's annual average EAF gradually increased to 60%, compared to an average of 55% in 2023, driven by an improved unplanned plant failure rate and relatively higher planned maintenance undertaken in 2024.