Solar installers eye bright future as SA experiences constant power cuts

The demand for solar panel installations has increased in the past three years and the future of the industry is bright.

This is the view of Renier Wolfswinkel from Noltrix, a company which installs solar panels in homes.

He said since Eskom started plunging SA into stage 6 load-shedding, demand has increased dramatically with more homeowners looking for an alternative energy source.

“We receive more requests with stages 4 and 6,” he said.

Wolfswinkel said they import most of their equipment from China and recently supply has been an issue.

“You miss a shipment and you are delayed by another month. Our customs officials are not friendly, which adds to delays,” he said.

“Business has been doubling every year. I think the future looks very bright for the solar industry,” he said. 

CEO of Bundu Power, Nick Von Broembsen, echoed Wolfswinkel’s sentiments.

He said they were seeing a significant increase in households installing solar and generators due to the latest power cuts.

“We have seen an increase of approximately 350% in enquiries since the start of stage 6 load-shedding,” he said.

His company is booked about six weeks in advance for installations, and they are installing at many homes every week.

“We carry stock of all components needed for solar installations. Due to high demand, sometimes stock can be an issue,” he said.

“This is why we hold stock of key items to ensure installations are done on time. ”

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.