Development background in optical storage
South Africa is dominated by coal-fired power generation, accounting for more than 80% of its power generation. The electricity market is basically monopolized by the national power company Eskom, with power generation accounting for 90%. and is fully responsible for the transmission end.

Since the outbreak of the power crisis in 2008, electricity prices in South Africa have increased exponentially, with an increase of more than 356% in the ten years from 2007 to 2017, far exceeding the growth rate of inflation. On January 12 this year, the National Energy Regulator of Africa (NERSA) once again approved Eskom's decision to increase electricity tariffs by 18.65% and 12.74% in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

At present, electricity prices in South Africa are calculated based on six major categories using a combination of tiered and peak and valley electricity prices. The household electricity price is approximately R1.97 (US$0.1/kwh), and the commercial electricity price is approximately R1.88 (US$0.1/kwh). Industrial electricity prices are approximately R1.20. (USD 0.06/kwh), household electricity prices are at a high level.

South Africa's soaring electricity prices are due on the one hand to rising fuel costs caused by the global energy crisis, and on the other hand due to long-standing internal problems at national power company Eskom. In recent years, due to rising fuel costs, poor management, aging power grid infrastructure, internal corruption, and other reasons, Eskom has been heavily in debt and has been in a state of loss. It currently faces debts of approximately 396 billion rand, and its future operating prospects are worrying. Without further financial support from the state, it may be difficult to repay debt and achieve profitability.

In addition to high electricity prices, frequent "load shedding" restrictions in China have also had a serious impact on residents' lives. South Africa's power grid infrastructure is poor. Eskom's coal-fired power plants were generally built before the 1980s and have gradually become obsolete and are facing obsolescence. To prevent aging coal-fired power plants from accelerating their collapse, power rationing policies have to be implemented. According to statistics, Eskom's available power coefficient dropped from 70% to 62% between 2019 and 2022. It is expected that 15GW will be retired in 2035 and 29GW in 2050, accounting for 76% of the total installed capacity. This will gradually worsen the power supply of South Africa, which relies heavily on coal-fired power generation.

South Africa's "power rationing" policy began in 2007. In response to the shortage of power supply, power companies implemented planned power outages to protect the power system from paralysis. Eskom divides power restrictions into eight levels and plans to implement time-based power restrictions in different areas according to the load of the power grid. Each stage corresponds to a reduction in demand for specific electricity, with Stage 1 being the least severe and Stage 8 the most severe. For example, Phase 1 requires reductions of up to 1,000 MW and blackouts of approximately two and a half hours per day, while Phase 8 requires reductions of up to 8,000 MW and blackouts of 12 hours per day.

Due to the energy crisis and the failure of old coal-fired power plants or the need for repairs, "power rationing" policies have been recurring in South Africa for many years, and have gradually intensified in recent years. In February 2023, the President of South Africa declared that the national power crisis had entered a "state of disaster." As of now, the power limit this year has reached 22,337GWh, which is nearly 10 times the power limit in 2018. On November 24, 2023, Eskom announced that it would raise the power curtailment level to Level 6, which means that power outages last for more than 9 hours a day. 2023 will be the most severe year of power rationing on record in South Africa.

To ensure the national power supply, it is imperative to adjust the power supply structure and increase the proportion of new energy power generation. In the context of frequent power outages, household industrial and commercial energy storage solutions have become an important measure to ensure power consumption.
The African continent has 60% of the world's solar resources, but only 1% of its installed photovoltaic capacity, leaving huge room for development. South Africa is located at the southernmost tip of Africa, with a coastline that stretches over 2,500 kilometers across the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. With an area of 1,219,912 square kilometers, South Africa is the 24th largest country in the world. The interior of South Africa consists of a large, almost flat plateau with altitudes ranging from 1,000 m to 2,100 m, being highest in the east and sloping slowly lower to the west north south, and southwest. South Africa is rich in sunshine resources, with average annual sunshine exceeding 2500 hours and a direct solar intensity of 220W/㎡. It has superior conditions for the development of photovoltaics.

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