With stage 2 and 3 load-shedding predicted to become a permanent fixture for the next two years, former public protector Thuli Madonsela has suggested Eskom considers buying solar panels and inverters and retailing them to the country.

According to Madonsela, this initiative could help end load-shedding stages with speed.

She said the ailing power utility could retail the solar panels and inverters to the nation after training unemployed young persons to do installations.

“Has Eskom considered entering the business of wholesale buying of solar panels and inverters and retailing these to the nation, having trained a squad of unemployed young persons to do installations? Could this not help end stage 6 load-shedding or any stages with deliberate speed?” said Madonsela.

She said Eskom diversifying its offerings would boost energy security equity.

“At the moment, people are able to get expensive installations from reputable companies to evade stage 6 load-shedding and other stages. The unverified traders in places like Chinatowns are a grave risk. Eskom diversifying its offerings would also boost energy security equity,” she said.

“Furthermore, if done by Eskom having procured solar panels and inverters in bulk directly from manufacturers, the cost would not average at R150,000 per family. It would be far less. I got a deal in Johannesburg for R50,000  but hesitated because it’s not a reputable supplier.”

Eskom chairpn Mpho Makwana said permanent load-shedding was needed to allow the utility time for much-needed maintenance to the constrained system and to provide consistency in outages for South Africans.

He said the new board had met 50 times in its first 112 days in office and a plan to boost its power plants was approved in December.

“We want to ensure we create some predictability by implementing some level of permanent stages of between stage 2 and 3 load-shedding for the next two years to give sufficient space for maintenance, while giving the country a level of predictability or consistency to plan livelihoods better.

“It will take at least two years to ultimately reach the perfectly desirable energy availability factor.”

LISTEN | We’re working on it: Ramaphosa on load-shedding