Abstract: The South African energy market is strained owing to load shedding, ageing power station and the ever-increasing tariffs. The alternative energy source is renewable energy. This research assesses the technical and financial feasibility of a 5.4 kWp grid-connected rooftop solar PV system for small residential units in eMalahleni (Witbank).. Utilizing PVSOL, SolarGIS, and PVSYST simulation tools, performance is evaluated under high-solar-resource conditions with global horizontal irradiation ranging from 1,900 to 2,000 kWh/m². Results indicate high performance with yields of 1,800 to 1,861 kWh/kWp, performance ratio values of 73.8 to 76.9%, and a capacity factor of approximately 18%, matching global standards. Over 83% of the power generated is fed into the grid, making domestic consumption decrease by over 40%. SolarGIS provides conservative results, PVSYST provides optimistic results, while PVSOL provides a balanced estimate. From an economic perspective, the system is 35% cost-effective with a payback period of 6-8 years, making rooftop solar a feasible option for eMalahleni households in the long run.

Keywords: Tariffs, Valuation, Energy Yield, Optimization, Modeling

Pages: 121-132