The second quarter of 2024 (April to June) saw 350.5MW of rooftop solar capacity added by South African households and business, compared to 240MW in the first quarter, according to GoSolr, a solar installation company.
"The last day we had load shedding was 28 March, and this is a very good opportunity for the solar industry to disassociate itself from load shedding," said GoSolr CEO Andrew Middleton at the launch in Johannesburg on Tuesday of the company's quarterly Light Paper on solar energy.
"Last year was an exceptional year; if things continue like this, South Africa will add around half the capacity it did last year by the end of 2024."
Last year was South Africa's worst year of load shedding since the rolling blackouts began in 2008, with Eskom reporting that 335 of the 365 days in the year were impacted. Rooftop solar boomed as a consequence, as households and businesses scrambled to find alternative energy sources to meet their needs.
"South Africa needs huge investment in its transmission infrastructure, not just in high-capacity long-haul infrastructure but in the last mile, to the home, as well," said Middleton.
