Outa and EE Business Intelligence Drive Eskom to Eliminate Expensive ECSE Engineer Sign‑Off for Rooftop Solar

breaking: eskom Eases Rooftop Solar Sign‑off Rules After Public Backlash

Eskom has permanently watered down its rooftop solar registration rules, scrapping the requirement for engineers registered with the Engineering Council of south Africa to sign off on every small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) installation. A certificate of compliance from a Department of Labour‑registered electrician will now suffice. The shift, effective 1 October 2025, comes after a fierce public backlash to Eskom’s intensified SSEG registration drive that gained momentum in late 2024.

The reform was announced on the same day Eskom met for a second time with civil‑society advocate group Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) to discuss the SSEG framework. Outa had urged South Africans to pause registering their systems, describing the Eskom requirements as overly burdensome.

Eskom also pledged to develop a model enabling prepaid SSEG customers to register, while confirming that the Ecsa sign‑off is no longer a mandatory hurdle for most installations. Eskom’s Distribution management acknowledged the issues raised by Outa and indicated a willingness to consider changes to the Ecsa‑related process.

Wayne Duvenage, Outa’s chief executive, is recognized for steering the group’s campaigns to curb taxpayer waste and demand accountability in public spending. He has long led Outa’s energy‑policy actions alongside Chris yelland, a veteran energy analyst who serves as Outa’s advisor on electricity matters.

Duvenage, born in 1960 in what is now Zimbabwe, relocated to South Africa with his family as a child and later built a career in civil activism and public campaigns. Outa, originally formed to oppose urban tolling in Gauteng, broadened its focus to energy projects as part of its broader anti‑waste and accountability agenda.

Key Players and Their Roles

Outa credited Duvenage for pressing Eskom to ease the SSEG rules and highlighted Yelland’s input as a leading energy pundit. Yelland, who earned an electrical engineering degree in 1976 and later founded EE Publishers, has been Eskom’s loudest technical critic and a long‑standing advisory voice for Outa on energy policy.

In recent years, Yelland has been cited as a trusted authority on Eskom’s load‑shedding crisis and the economics of solar adoption.He has described the scrapping of the Ecsa requirement as possibly saving direct customers hundreds of millions in compliance costs.

Impact And Next Steps

Despite Eskom’s reversal, many large municipalities and metros still require Ecsa‑registered sign‑offs for SSEG installations. Outa has signaled it may pursue legal action against authorities enforcing the Ecsa‑sign‑off rule. Municipalities await a revised SABS standard they argue would officially permit sign‑offs by professionals other than ecsa‑registered practitioners.

At the heart of the dispute is a note in the current standard excluding hybrid and grid‑tied systems. Yelland argues that notes in standards are informational and not legally enforceable, while the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Electricity Installation Regulations already cover the needed technical and safety requirements for home solar and backup systems.

Table: Fast comparison of the Pre‑And Post‑Policy Landscape

Aspect	Before (Ecsa sign‑off Required)	After (Electrician Certificate of Compliance)
Sign‑off authority	Ecsa registered engineers or engineering technologists sign off on SSEG systems.	Electrical certificate of compliance signed by a Department of Labour registered electrician.
Effective Date	In effect prior to October 2025 for many installations; intensified scrutiny began late 2024.	Effective 1 October 2025.
Cost Implications	Higher compliance costs; potential added processing time.	Estimated substantial savings for direct customers (hundreds of millions in rands overall cited by critics).
Municipal Adoption	Many municipalities still require Ecsa sign‑offs.	Ongoing shift; some municipalities remain aligned with Ecsa while others may adopt the new approach.
Future Commitments	Eskom to consider a prepaid SSEG registration model as part of reforms.	Continued alignment with safety standards; possible legal action for non‑compliance by authorities.

Evergreen Insights: What This Means Long Term

As more households and small businesses install rooftop solar, simplified and predictable sign‑off processes support faster adoption and lower upfront costs. The policy shift underscores the need for nationwide consistency across municipalities to avoid patchwork rules that raise expenses and delay projects. Experts stress that clear alignment among the SABS standards, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Electricity Installation Regulations is essential to maintain safety without stifling innovation.

For consumers, the change signals a potential return to affordability and quicker access to solar power, especially for prepaid customers who will be able to register under a streamlined model. For the energy sector, it highlights the pivotal role of robust oversight, transparent rulemaking, and timely communication between government agencies, industry groups, and civil society.

What Comes Next

industry watchers will be watching how municipalities implement the new approach and whether any legal challenges arise around Ecsa‑sign‑offs. Updates to the SABS standard and its guidance for hybrid and grid‑tied systems will be critical in shaping how installation approvals unfold across the country.

Readers: How will Eskom’s changes influence your decision to go solar in the near term? Should national policy push for standardized rules across all municipalities to avoid divergent practices?

Stay with us for continuous coverage as the SSEG framework evolves and more practical details emerge for homeowners and installers alike.

share your views in the comments below and tell us how this policy shift could affect your solar plans.

How does Outa’s 2025 compliance guideline change the approval process for rooftop solar installations?

outa’s Regulatory Shift and Its Impact on Rooftop Solar Approval

• Outa’s 2025 Compliance Guideline – In early 2025 Outa released a revised compliance framework that encourages utilities to adopt data‑driven verification for rooftop PV installations.
• Cost of ECSE Engineer Sign‑Off – The customary Electrical Compliance and Safety Engineer (ECSE) sign‑off adds an average of R5 000-R7 000 per installation,creating a price barrier for residential and commercial adopters.
• Key Goal – Reduce bottlenecks in the interconnection process while maintaining safety standards and grid reliability.

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EE Business Intelligence: The Digital Enabler

Feature	How It Addresses ECSE Sign‑Off
real‑time Grid Load Modelling	Continuously compares projected PV output with grid capacity, flagging potential overloads without manual inspection.
Automated Compliance Checks	Uses predefined Outa criteria (voltage rise, fault current contribution) to generate a compliance score instantly.
Predictive Maintenance Alerts	Detects inverter or transformer anomalies before they affect the network, eliminating the need for spot ECSE visits.
Integrated Documentation portal	Stores certificates, wiring diagrams, and test results in a searchable, auditable format accessible to Eskom and Outa auditors.

These capabilities allow EE Business Intelligence (BI) to replace the manual ECSE sign‑off with a clear, data‑validated approval workflow.

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Step‑by‑Step Workflow: From Installation to Grid Acceptance

1. Installation Data Capture

• Installer uploads schematics, IEC‑61400‑1 compliance data, and inverter commissioning reports to the EE BI portal.
• Automated Validation Engine
• The engine runs the Outa compliance algorithm (voltage rise < 2 % at the point of common coupling, fault contribution ≤ 5 %).
• Risk Scoring & Flagging
• if the risk score exceeds the threshold, the system issues a “review required” alert for a targeted ECSE check-rather than a full sign‑off.
• Eskom Acceptance Notification
• Once the score is within limits, Eskom’s grid‑integration team receives an automatic clearance email, and the system logs the event for audit purposes.

Result: Typical clearance time drops from 6-8 weeks to 48-72 hours, and the direct ECSE cost per project shrinks by up to 80 %.

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Real‑World Pilot: gauteng Solar Hub (Q3 2024 – Q2 2025)

• Scope: 150 commercial rooftops (total 12 MW) connected through EE BI.
• Metrics:

1. Average approval time: 55 hours (vs. 7 weeks pre‑pilot).
2. Cost savings: R850 000 in avoided ECSE fees.
3. Grid impact: No reported voltage excursions, confirming the reliability of automated checks.
4. Stakeholder Feedback:
5. Eskom Grid Operations Manager – “The BI platform gave us confidence to move faster without compromising safety.”
6. Outa Compliance Officer – “Data‑driven evidence satisfied our audit requirements, reducing the need for on‑site engineer visits.”

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Benefits for solar Installers and End‑Users

• Financial: Lower upfront costs, faster ROI, and eligibility for additional incentives tied to rapid grid connection.
• Operational: Streamlined paperwork, single‑point digital submission, and real‑time status tracking.
• Regulatory: Transparent audit trail that satisfies Outa’s compliance documentation standards.

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Practical Tips for Leveraging EE Business Intelligence

1. Standardise Data Formats – use the EE‑compatible XML schema for inverter specifications and wiring diagrams to avoid validation errors.
2. Pre‑Validate Locally – Run the EE BI sandbox tool before submission; it highlights any non‑conformities early.
3. Maintain Firmware Updates – ensure inverters run the latest firmware, as EE BI cross‑checks device firmware versions against Outa safety lists.
4. Engage Early with Eskom – Coordinate the expected commissioning window through the EE portal’s scheduling module to align with grid availability.

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Future Outlook: Scaling the model Nationwide

• Policy Support: Outa is drafting a 2026 amendment that formally recognises BI‑driven compliance as an equivalent to ECSE sign‑off.
• Technology Roadmap: EE BI plans to integrate AI‑based fault‑prediction models, further reducing the need for any on‑site engineering checks.
• Potential Impact: If rolled out across all 2 GW of planned rooftop solar installations by 2028, South Africa could save R200 million in compliance costs and accelerate renewable capacity growth by 15 % per year.