DMRE aims to unveil battery storage preferred projects in two months after receiving 17 bids

A total of 17 bids have been received in response to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) inaugural public procurement for battery energy storage system (BESS) projects. The BESS request for proposals was launched on March 7 with an initial bid submission deadline of July 5, which was subsequently postponed to August 2 as a result of delays to the issuance of cost estimate letters for grid connections.
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Electricity reforms prioritised amid uneven progress

South Africa’s electricity reforms are again being prioritised amid uneven progress. Engineering News editor Terence Creamer unpacks the developments.  
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Standard Bank seeks to access green finance for household renewable power systems

Financial services firm Standard Bank is investigating the use of edge certification frameworks for renewable energy systems in households to enable it to access international green funding that it can then lend on to households to accelerate the rate of installation of renewable energy systems. Accessing sustainability, or green, finances requires certification and there is low penetration of edge certifications in homes older than five years, which makes it difficult for the bank to provide the required assurances to access green finances for household projects, says Standard Bank homeowners’ advice and services platform LookSee executive head Marc du Plessis.
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Firm invests in ‘greener’ solutions for sustainable future

JSE-registered real estate investment trust (REIT) Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) is beefing up its electricity generation supply to meet its environment, social and governance (ESG) targets. L2D development executive Melinda Isaacs says the company – which specialises in rental property in the retail, hotel and office space, with a portfolio valued at over R10-billion – is focusing on sustainability projects that have a good return on investment and will reduce operational expenditure.
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Market hindered by interest rates, economic stagnation

The commercial property market experienced a 5.6% decline in sales activity in the first quarter of 2023, compared with the same quarter in 2022, owing to numerous factors, including rising interest rates and the oversupply of office space, says property valuations custodian South African Institute of Valuers (SAIV) president Dianne de Wet. “I don’t think we’ve seen the full impact of the interest rate increases as this takes time to filter through and I believe that we may see another interest rate increase soon, even if it’s just a 25-basis point increase. There’s also the risk of the decline in vacancy rates being arrested,” notes De Wet.
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Vodacom Century City fire highlights fire safety for PV systems

The fire at the Vodacom building at Century City in Cape Town last month is suspected of having been caused by an issue with the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation, notes ASP Fire CEO Michael van Niekerk, observing that such systems for homes and businesses are increasingly popular as a means of mitigating the impact of ongoing loadshedding. However, he stresses that, for insurance purposes, these systems need to be installed by an accredited installer or electrician. The onus is on home and business owners to ensure that the installation is correct, especially in terms of accompanying generator sets.
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