SSEG & tariffs
What is zero-export solar in South Africa?
Zero-export (export limitation) means your inverter is set so little or no PV power flows onto the municipal / Eskom network — you self-consume or throttle instead. It is common while you wait for SSEG approval or a bi-directional meter, and in schemes that cap export. It is a settings and compliance mode, not a different panel. Model savings on self-use against your import tariff; do not assume feed-in credits until export is authorised.
Updated 27 October 2026 · Illustrative ranges — not a formal quote, credit decision or legal advice.
Answer first: Zero-export keeps you lawful and powered while paperwork catches up, but it changes the payback story. Surplus midday PV that cannot be stored or used is curtailed — so battery timing, geyser/pool timers and EV charging windows matter more than nameplate kWp.
When homeowners use zero-export
- Waiting for municipal SSEG approval or a bi-directional / AMI meter appointment.
- Metro or estate rules that forbid export on your tariff code.
- NMD / transformer constraints where the EPC limits export by design.
- Temporary commissioning before anti-islanding / NRS paperwork is filed.
Related: SSEG registration · bi-directional meters · SSEG cost.
Savings maths under zero-export
Every self-consumed kWh displaces import at your retail / TOU rate. Every curtailed kWh is worth R0 until you have storage or a shifted load. A smaller array with a right-sized battery often beats a large zero-export array that throttles from 11:00–14:00 — export vs self-use · monthly savings.
Settings and proof
Ask the installer to show the export-limit setpoint in the inverter menu or commissioning report, and to leave it documented in the handover pack. When the meter and approval land, changing to a permitted export limit should be a scheduled visit — not a WhatsApp firmware rumour. NRS 097 and metro rules still apply — NRS 097 · approved inverters.
Owner checklist
- Is zero-export temporary or permanent on my tariff?
- What export limit (kW or %) is programmed today?
- Battery / load-shift plan for midday surplus.
- Date expected for meter + SSEG so we can revisit settings.
- Written confirmation that anti-islanding remains active.
How zero-export shows up on the bill
Import kWh should fall when you self-consume. Export credit lines stay at zero or near-zero by design. Fixed / capacity charges still appear once you are on an SSEG-capable tariff code — zero-export does not mean “same bill shape as before panels.” Compare three bills: pre-solar, zero-export month, and (later) first credited-export month — fixed charges · metro tariffs.
Load shifting that earns its keep
- Geyser or heat pump timers into the sunny window.
- Pool pump daytime schedule.
- EV wallbox solar-priority or scheduled midday charge.
- Laundry / dishwasher when the app shows surplus.
Without these, a large zero-export array simply throttles. Related: pool pump · geyser · solar EV charging.
Inverter modes and NRS
Export limitation must still respect anti-islanding and the metro’s NRS 097 expectations. “Zero export” via a broken CT or a hacked firmware is how people fail inspections and void cover. Use the OEM’s documented limit mode and keep the commissioning screenshot — NRS 097 · dual-supply labelling.
When to leave zero-export on purpose
If export credits are a few cents while evening import is expensive, a permanent low export cap plus battery self-use can beat “export everything.” Re-run the sheet after your metro publishes the live credit — export vs self-use · payback.
Estate and sectional-title angle
Some schemes insist on zero-export even when the metro would allow feed-in. Get the rule in writing from trustees before you pay for a bi-directional meter you cannot use. Shared plant may need a different SSEG applicant than your unit — sectional title.
Prepaid meters and reverse-power trips
Some prepaid / STS meters dislike even brief reverse power. Zero-export (or a very low limit) is how EPCs keep the token meter stable until a bi-directional product is fitted. If your lights flicker or the meter dumps tokens when clouds pass, tell the installer — CT orientation and limit ramp settings are usual suspects — prepaid + solar · token tips.
Commercial and farm notes
Shops and farms on notified maximum demand can have stricter export rules than houses. A zero-export commercial hybrid still needs a proper SSEG / grid-code path; do not copy a household WhatsApp setting onto a 100 kVA board — commercial SSEG · farm solar · demand charges.
Monitoring so you know you are limited
If the inverter app never shows export and midday production flat-lines while the battery is full and loads are light, you are probably curtailed. That is expected under zero-export — it is also your cue to add a flexible load or more usable storage rather than more panels.
Talking to the metro
Ask which tariff codes allow export, what meter is required, and whether a temporary zero-export commissioning letter is accepted. Get names and reference numbers. Portal folklore changes; the written metro reply wins — municipal SSEG steps.
CT placement mistakes
Export limits need a correctly oriented current transformer on the correct grid conductor. A CT on a downstream sub-board can fool the hybrid into thinking the whole house is exporting when only a wing is. Commissioning should include a controlled test: turn on a big known load, then watch the app’s grid/import/export arrows with the electrician present.
If you DIY-moved a CT to “make the app look nicer,” undo it before the CoC inspection. Related: CoC · earthing.
Battery-full midday playbook
- Check whether geyser / pool / EV can absorb surplus in the next hour.
- If not, accept curtailment — it is cheaper than illegal export.
- Note how many sunny hours you curtail each week; that diary sizes the next battery module.
- Do not add panels until curtailment hours shrink.
Pairing with generators
Zero-export hybrids sometimes still accept a generator input during multi-day Stage runs. That mode needs interlocks so the generator cannot back-feed the street while export remains limited. Treat it as a commissioned feature with a test sheet, not a blue-wire weekend project — generator vs hybrid · changeover / ATS.
If your only goal is lights during shedding and the metro export queue is long, a right-sized battery under zero-export usually beats waiting months for credits that may be worth cents.
Checklist before you accept “export soon”
- Written metro / Eskom product that pays credits on your tariff code.
- Bi-directional or AMI meter actually installed and linked.
- Inverter export limit raised only to the authorised kW.
- First credited bill filed next to the old zero-export bill.
- Payback sheet updated — credits are a bonus, not the base case.
Until those five rows are true, keep designing for self-use. That habit survives every NERSA wording change and every slow meter queue in 2026/27.
When zero-export is the honest design
Constrained feeders, pending SSEG approval, or prepaid migration delays can make zero-export the lawful near-term mode. Self-use still pays against import blocks; just do not claim export cents you are not earning — self-use · SSEG need.
Quick questions
Is zero-export the same as off-grid?
No. The grid can still supply your home; you simply do not push PV out. Off-grid means no grid connection.
Can I earn export credits later?
Only after your metro/Eskom product and meter allow it. Until then, model R0 export.
Will zero-export void my warranty?
Proper OEM export-limit modes are normal. Unofficial firmware hacks are not — stick to documented settings.