How to register your solar system with the City of Tshwane (2026)
By Erazon Solar, Pretoria · Updated
If your home is supplied by the City of Tshwane and your solar system is grid-tied or hybrid, it has to be registered with Tshwane Electricity as small-scale embedded generation (SSEG). Tshwane uses a pre-application and an as-built submission before connection (SurgePV). If Eskom supplies you directly, you register with Eskom instead (EnergyBee).
Do I have to register my solar system in Tshwane?
Yes, if it can connect to the grid. That includes hybrid systems with a battery, even if you never plan to export power. Tshwane Electricity inspectors pick up unregistered systems during routine meter reading and maintenance (SurgePV). Registration is also what your insurer will look for if you ever claim.
A truly off-grid system, with no connection to the municipal supply at all, is treated differently. We explain which applies to your setup at the assessment.
Who do I register with: Tshwane or Eskom?
Whoever sends you the electricity bill. Most of Pretoria and Centurion buys from Tshwane, but some properties, especially on the edges of the metro, are supplied directly by Eskom.
| Supplier | Where you register | Registration cost (late 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| City of Tshwane | Tshwane Electricity SSEG application | Applicant pays the meter and applicable charges; no flat residential fee published |
| Eskom direct | Eskom SSEG process | No registration or connection fee, free smart meter, until further notice |
| City Power (Johannesburg) | City Power SSEG, approval before installation | No registration fee; prepaid-to-postpaid meter conversion fee applies |
Sources: Tshwane costs (EnergyBee), Eskom waiver extended on 1 October 2026 (EnergyBee), City Power (ITWeb, EnergyBee).
What documents does Tshwane need?
Every municipality wants two things before it approves anything: a valid electrical Certificate of Compliance and an inverter certified to the grid-connection standard, NRS 097-2-1 (EnergyBee). For Tshwane the pack usually includes:
- The SSEG pre-application form with a single-line diagram of the system.
- The inverter datasheet and its NRS 097-2-1 certificate.
- Sign-off by an ECSA-registered professional, which Tshwane requires (BusinessTech).
- After installation: the as-built single-line diagram, commissioning report and CoC (SurgePV).
When we install a grid-tied or hybrid system, we put this pack together and submit it as part of the job.
How much solar can I export to the Tshwane grid?
Tshwane's published guidance limits residential export to 10 kVA on a single-phase supply and 25 kVA on three-phase (SurgePV). In practice most homes are better off using their solar themselves: every unit you use saves you up to R5.12 at Tshwane's top block, including VAT (EnergyBee), which is far more than any export credit.
How long does Tshwane SSEG registration take?
Slowly. One installer reported typical Tshwane processing times of six to twelve months in 2025 (CBN). The industry body SAPVIA has since met the City, which says it is reviewing the residential SSEG process and refining its diagram requirements (SAPVIA). A complete application the first time is the best way to avoid going to the back of the queue.
Do I need to tell Tshwane if I add a battery later?
Yes. Adding battery storage changes how the system operates, so Tshwane expects an amended SSEG application with updated commissioning documents before the battery goes in (SurgePV). The same applies to adding panels or swapping the inverter.