Loadshedding.com
Suburbs with the best solar generation potential in South Africa have been revealed by a Standard Bank and Riskscape platform, LookSee. As winter approaches and higher stages of load-shedding loom, it is important for homeowners to explore renewable energy solutions and this platform provides useful information and services including the Solar Score system. This generates a 3D grid of a home, assessing it against various solar performance factors such as roof direction, slope and area and solar radiance, performing the calculation using only the user’s physical address and presenting them with a Solar Score out of 100. With over 30 suburbs identified, Kloof, Atholl and Winston Park made the top three on the list. In this report, we will delve into the details of the suburbs with the best solar generation potential, explore the data behind the Solar Score service, and learn more about how homeowners can benefit from renewable energy solutions like solar power.
Kloof in KwaZulu-Natal has the highest solar generation potential across all suburbs in South Africa, according to LookSee. With over 4,245 MWh per month potential to generate using residential solar systems, Atholl in Gauteng, with 2,462 MWh per month, and Winston Park in KZN, with 1,530 MWh per month, placed second and third, respectively. This platform has identified that residential properties in 30 suburbs could generate 25 gigawatt-hours a month with rooftop solar, a significant potential renewable energy resource.
South Africa has excellent conditions for solar power; however, the generation potential of each province, suburb, and home can vary widely. According to Looksee’s executive head, Marc du Plessis, a solar power system can only perform as efficiently as the conditions of the home allow. The Solar Score system has enabled them to analyze the solar potential of various suburbs in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape and identify how much electricity could be generated by various suburbs.
The size and number of houses in a suburb impact the solar power that can be generated; however, Gauteng suburbs generally perform better. This is due to the level of photovoltaic emissions or solar irradiance decreasing as suburbs move away from the equator. Therefore, it is clear that a home’s structure and location significantly impact how a solar power system will perform and how much electricity homeowners can expect to generate.
With new areas being added and decisions being made in this field, the future of solar power in South Africa is promising. It is vital for homeowners to explore renewable energy solutions like solar power and engage with platforms like LookSee to understand how much electricity they could generate, the potential costs saved on their bills, and which suburbs come out on top in their analysis.
Load Shedding Reporter 
Joel Bijlmer 