Alternatives for small, medium and micro scale enterprises participation in the renewable energy industry – small scale embedded generation review

Abstract

Over the past decade South Africa has seen an increase in the uptake of solar energy as a result of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme, which led to a sharp increase in procurement of utility-scale solar PV projects. On the other hand, the load shedding which was implemented by the national power utility in response to electricity supply and demand challenges resulted in the rise in procurement of small-scale embedded generation solar PV systems. While the REIPPPP has had minimal impact in terms of incorporating small, medium and micro scale enterprises (SMMEs) in the renewable energy value chain, there is a significant opportunity for SMMEs in the small scale embedded generation (SSEG) market segment. This study investigated the challenges and opportunities for SMMEs in SSEG.