Low tax ensures solar incentive

The relatively low value of carbon tax in South Africa, and numerous allowances that government made available in year one of the Carbon Tax Act’s implementation, which took effect in June 2019, have resulted in there being little incentive currently for solar energy, technology company EDS Systems business development head Eckart Zollner tells Engineering News. The carbon tax initially applies only to scope 1 emitters in the first phase of the carbon tax roll-out, from June 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022. Scope 1 emitters are those who are responsible for direct emissions from an owned or controlled source – such as those produced by burning fossil fuels. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions that have resulted from the generation of purchased energy and these will be taxed in the second phase of the roll-out, from 2023 to 2030.
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Underserved Lesotho communities to benefit from solar delivery

Containerised off-grid solar systems manufacturer SustainSolar was contracted by minigrid developer OnePower Lesotho to deliver the first batch of seven modular, turnkey and rapid-deployment Sustain Compact solar power solutions to Lesotho early this year. “The Sustain Compact solar power solution – which is a plug-and-play solution – significantly reduces the operational complexity of sourcing and installing the power generation unit. This leaves the project developer with more time to focus on the distribution and metering infrastructure and serving customers earlier than usual,” SustainSolar MD Tobias Hobbach tells Engineering News.
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Company adds solar inverters and drives to suite of solutions

Engineering solutions provider BMG’s electromechanical specialists have extended its solutions service to include solar inverters and drives, which are designed to enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems. “PV modules – which use daylight to generate electricity – are gaining popularity globally as a form of renewable energy that is clean, emission-free, sustainable, safe and cost efficient. Through the use of environment-friendly PV technology to generate electrical power, companies in South Africa are finding effective solutions to combat the country’s grave electricity crisis,” claims BMG electromechanical division electronics manager Mick Baugh.
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