Namibian households seeking to install grid-connected rooftop solar systems could have their applications processed within 30 days under a new Electricity Control Board (ECB) platform aimed at simplifying embedded generation approvals.
The online system allows households and other electricity consumers to submit embedded generation applications digitally, while electricity distributors will assess whether proposed installations can safely be connected to their networks.
The ECB is targeting a 30-day turnaround for systems below one megawatt, a category that would include typical residential rooftop solar installations.
“We commit to reviewing platform performance quarterly and publishing processing times. Our target is a 30-day turnaround for systems under one megawatt,” ECB Chief Executive Officer Robert Kahimise said.
The platform provides a standardised process as more households invest in solar generation to produce some of their own electricity.
Embedded generation refers to electricity generated at or close to where it is consumed, including rooftop solar systems installed at homes, businesses, farms and institutions.
The new platform does not mean homeowners can automatically install and connect solar systems to municipal or regional electricity networks without approval.
Electricity distributors will continue conducting technical assessments to determine whether proposed systems meet connection requirements and whether the local network has sufficient capacity to accommodate additional generation.
The platform will, however, allow applications to be submitted and processed digitally and create a central database of embedded generation installations connected to distribution networks.
Kahimise said Namibia’s electricity market is changing as consumers increasingly become electricity producers.
“By launching this unified online platform with standardised rules, Namibia becomes one of the first states to give applicants, utilities and the regulator a single source of truth,” he said.
For electricity distributors, the database will provide greater visibility over the number, capacity and location of private generation systems connected to their networks.
This information will help utilities manage grid stability and plan future network investments as more households and businesses generate electricity from renewable sources.
European Union Ambassador to Namibia Ana-Beatriz Martins said clear and predictable regulatory processes are important as renewable-energy investment expands.
“This platform is about much more than technology. It is about how Namibia manages its energy transition, encourages new investment and builds a more modern, efficient and inclusive electricity system,” Martins said.
She said Namibia has significant solar and wind resources, but expanding renewable-energy generation requires appropriate regulatory, institutional and planning frameworks.
“Investors into renewable energy need clear rules, predictable procedures and transparency,” Martins said.
GIZ Namibia Country Director Tobias Gerster said the system responds to the rapid growth of embedded generation and should make applications and tracking easier.
“It makes the application processes simpler and easier. It makes tracking easier. It makes information more current and more up to date,” he said.
The platform was developed through the GET.transform programme, which is co-funded by the European Union and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The €2.9 million programme supports Namibia’s energy governance, planning, regulation and integration of renewable energy.
