SSEG Registration: How to Register Your Solar System in SA

If your solar system connects to the grid, in other words a grid-tied or hybrid system, you are required to register it as Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) with your local municipality or Eskom. Many homeowners do not realise this, but registration is an important compliance step that protects you and keeps your installation legal.

Why SSEG registration matters

• It is a legal requirement for grid-connected generation in South Africa.
• It ensures your system has the right protection so it cannot feed power back into the grid during an outage, which is a safety risk to maintenance workers.
• An unregistered system can create problems with insurance, with the sale of your property, and with any future feed-in arrangement.
• Where your municipality offers a feed-in tariff, registration is what makes you eligible to be credited for surplus energy. See our guide to feed-in tariffs.

What the process generally involves

Each municipality has its own forms and fees, but the typical steps are similar:

• Submit an application to your municipality or to Eskom if they are your supplier, including details of the system and the inverter.
• Provide a Certificate of Compliance and the sign-off of a registered person for the electrical work, plus engineering sign-off for larger installations.
• Use an inverter that is on the approved list and carries a valid NRCS Letter of Authority, with the correct grid-protection settings.
• Pay the applicable fees and, in some areas, have a bi-directional or smart meter installed.

Get a qualified installer to handle it

The good news is that reputable installers handle SSEG registration as part of the job, because they deal with the requirements regularly and know each municipality's process. When comparing quotes, ask whether registration is included.

Confirm your local rules

Requirements, forms and fees differ by municipality and change over time, so confirm the current process with your local authority. The bodies and certificates involved are explained in our accreditation bodies guide. When you are ready, request free quotes from verified installers who will register your system correctly.