City of Cape Town Approved Inverter List and SANS Compliance Guide

Key Takeaways

• The City of Cape Town maintains a formal equipment schedule titled TYPE TESTED INVERTERS/EQUIPMENT IN TERMS OF NRS 097-2-1 2026/06/10.
• Certified models include commercial and residential hardware such as the ABB ABB PVS - 50 - TL Grid-tied PV inverter and the Goodwe GOODWE GW10K-ES-C10 Hybrid PV inverter grid-tied.
• Since 1 October 2023, all new solar PV and/or battery systems are being treated as grid-tied and must use City-approved inverters, have professional sign-off, and be authorised before switching on.
• Solar PV geysers must be authorised, and follow the online SSEG application process, but do not require ECSA professional sign-off.
• Systems using non-approved inverters will not be authorised, and connecting an unauthorised system is illegal under municipal bylaws.

The NRS 097-2-1 Equipment Register Structure

Connecting embedded generation in the City of Cape Town requires using equipment that has undergone independent laboratory type-testing. The municipal standard schedule, designated TYPE TESTED INVERTERS/EQUIPMENT IN TERMS OF NRS 097-2-1 2026/06/10, lists every certified inverter make, model, type, testing house, and certificate number.

The register covers both dedicated grid-tied inverters and hybrid storage systems across various commercial and residential capacities. Representative approved listings on the municipal schedule include:

• ABB: The ABB ABB PVS - 50 - TL Grid-tied PV inverter, tested by TÜV Rheinland for commercial installations.
• Afore: The Afore AFORE AF10K-TH Hybrid PV inverter grid-tied Intertek 2023/05/25, providing three-phase hybrid functionality.
• Alpha: The Alpha ALPHA SMILE5-INV Hybrid PV inverter grid-tied Bureau Veritas, certified for residential energy storage.
• Atess: The Atess ATESS HPS 30 Hybrid PV inverter grid-tied Shenzhen Balun, engineered for commercial microgrids.
• GoodWe: The Goodwe GOODWE GW10K-ES-C10 Hybrid PV inverter grid-tied, approved for residential hybrid applications.

The municipality strictly enforces adherence to this list: systems using non-approved inverters will not be authorised. Connecting an unauthorised system is illegal.

Sign-off Rules and Capacity Thresholds

In addition to certified hardware, solar PV installations must satisfy statutory sign-off requirements. Since 1 October 2023, all new solar PV and/or battery systems are being treated as grid-tied and must use City-approved inverters, have professional sign-off, and be authorised before switching on.

The technical sign-off framework establishes clear boundaries based on system scale and equipment type:

• Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG): The authorisation process for embedded generation installations applies to small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems with a generation capacity smaller than 1 mega-volt ampere (MVA).
• Large Embedded Generation (EG): Larger installations, specifically embedded generation (EG) systems with a generation capacity of more than 1MVA and less than 100MVA in properties, require formal registration approval from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) before municipal authorisation can proceed.
• Solar PV Water Heating Exception: While general solar systems require professional sign-off from an ECSA-registered professional, the City provides a specific exemption for dedicated thermal conversion: solar PV geysers must be authorised, and follow the online SSEG application process, but do not require ECSA professional sign-off.

Online Application via Energy Services Platform

To prevent administrative delays and ensure traceability, the municipality transitioned all submissions to a centralized portal: to improve the authorisation process for solar PV and/or battery systems, all applications for small-scale embedded generation in the City's electrical supply area must be done online via the Energy Services platform on e-Services.

Through this portal, applicants upload single line diagrams, Certificate of Compliance (CoC) documentation, and proof that the specified inverter models match the official approved inverter list.