Under Verra VCS rules currently in force in South Africa, your installation qualifies for VCU registration if it meets all of the following.
Installation type.
Any commercial or industrial solar PV installation. Office parks, warehouses, factories, agricultural sites, retail centres, mixed-use developments. If your roof or yard hosts a commercial or industrial-scale solar array, it fits. Residential installations don’t qualify for our service.
System size.
Between approximately 50 kWp and 15 MWp. Below 50 kWp, the credit volume is usually too small to justify registration overhead. Above 15 MWp, projects need a different registration pathway. contact us and we’ll discuss options.
Commissioning date.
On or after 1 January 2025. This is the current window for our submission. The deadline is set by Verra’s rules for registering recent solar installations, and our current submission batch closes at the end of July 2026. If your installation was commissioned before 2025, you may still have options under Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or a different registration pathway. See below.
Grid connection.
Grid-connected installations qualify, with or without battery storage. Off-grid installations are generally not eligible.
Calibrated electricity meter.
Verra requires metered generation data from a calibrated electricity meter. Inverter readings alone can’t be used for submissions. Most commercial solar installations already have a compliant meter in place. If yours doesn’t, or if its calibration has lapsed, we help arrange installation or recalibration through our metering partners. The cost is small relative to the revenue your credits generate.
Carbon credit ownership.
You need to own the system or hold rights to its carbon credits. If your installation is under a power purchase agreement (PPA) or lease, check who holds the credit rights. South African PPAs often don’t address this explicitly, so it’s frequently negotiable.
What if my installation doesn’t meet these criteria?
You still have options.
- Pre-2025 installations may qualify for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) instead. We originate these too.
- Larger projects (over 15 MWp) can be discussed under a different pathway.
In both cases, contact us and we’ll talk through what fits.