Complete Solar Systems and Installations. Solar Maintenance, Upgrades and Repairs.
Unbeatable Free Advice: 10+ Best Frequently Asked Questions Answered
This is probably the No 1 Frequently asked Question by Everyone. Any Solar System has two requirements to determine what you need. Firstly is your Budget once you know what it is this will save a lot of time,You can easily get caught up in looking at pretty pictures and promises only to find that the pricing is not within your budget or fits your requirements.
Secondly is to know/understand what your current power usage is, there are millions of you tube videos out there that go into detail on calculations and more.Unless a physical metering system is installed to monitor your exact usage during a 24hr cycle’ alternatively a general usage “load” is determined on your appliance and other items.
On the 5KW Sunsynk Systems the recommendation is 2 x 5KW Lithium Batteries, however for most systems 1 x battery is installed and monitored.In some cases one is enough to cover the requirements but for long term investment and longer outages then two is the way to go! On the 8KW and higher systems minimum of 2 x Batteries (any less and equipment can be damaged!).
For best overall performance the solar panels should be placed on a North Facing roof at an angle of +/-30 degrees.This is not always possible but there are many various options that can be looked at for solar panel placement.
Another Frequently Asked Question. A Pressure Pump can take a perfectly working system and turn it into a nightmare !The first thing is to understand what type of pump you have i.e. Size and secondly when is it in use. A Pressure Pump can have a “High Start Up” power requirement, in some cases up to 2000W , generally it is not an issue. The problem begins is when the pump is constantly going On/Off every few min, these power spikes severely affect the battery performance reducing the available capacity extremely fast! Long Term, it can reduce the battery life faster. Alternatives is to get a more efficient pump or to ensure the system is capable of the pumps requirements.
There is a lot of confusion about 3 Phase Systems.The result is often costly and unnecessary. Unless a Specific requirement for an Appliance or a Pump requires a 3 Phase Supply then a Single Phase Inverter can be Installed. Most of our residential homes that have 3 Phase supply from the municipality do not have any 3 phase equipment operating on the premises. So there is a very good chance that you Do Not require a 3 Phase Inverter.
Any Oven and/or Hot Plates use an exteeme amount of power therefore it is Not Recommended. Some clients do use these appliances but these are on very large systems and are monitored.
Depending on both the size of your Geyser and the Solar System it is possible if managed correctly. For smaller systems it is not recommended.
The standard system does take up quite a bit of space (2m x 2m is a safe size), essentially it is mounted against a wall.Best Practice is to have it installed in the Garage or an Outside building ensuring that there is a firewall present between the equipment and the Living Area. Not recommended – Cupboard, Bedrooms,Outside in an open area, Thatch buildings…
The older aircon units does have a higher power requirement, especially when used for heating.Depending on the power requirement the solar panels can be used to power the unit during the day. For night usage it would be recommended that the unit be upgraded to an Inverter Type this will allow a much longer “run time” on your Battery.
Our solar pv systems are designed to have little or no user interaction. The system operates automatically this is both for our battery backup systems and our solar pv systems. As an example, on our battery backup systems when the grid (Eskom) goes off the lithium battery part of the system automatically takes over (within milliseconds) the changeover is seamless and there is no “buttons to push or levers to change”. The above also applies to our solar pv system (at night) then during the day the system automatically adjusts the available power from the solar panels to charge and supply power to your house. I.E Yes you can go away on holiday.
This is what we see very often in the South African Market, and to be honest, yes it can be cheaper to purchase your own equipment (Inverter, Battery, Solar Panels etc…). The concept of just hiring a “Local Pro” or watching more “how to videos” on YouTube and saving thousands just makes sense (doesn’t it)? I mean really it can’t be that hard!
Unfortunately, i need to steal your Ice cream now (sorry ne`) and tell you what actually happens, and this is facts from our years in this industry!
You will end up spending more than expected and have spare parts (somehow the solar expert didn’t mention it on YouTube), your system will require constant tweaks and modifications. You will waste days of phoning and googling for assistance because by this time your “Local Pro” is not so local anymore (at this point the family will be very impressed with your “cost saving” endeavour). If at any stage you have a failure, battery or inverter, your warranty at the supplier will be under scrutiny.
The list goes on and on unfortunately, but there is hope, if you still go ahead and it does not work then give us a call and we can offer you a solution that will work by a Professional Solar Company
The cost of battery backup system in South Africa can vary depending on various factors, including the type of battery, the quality of the battery, and how well the battery is maintained. On average, solar batteries in South Africa can last anywhere from 5-10 years, usage and the depth of discharge can greatly affect the battery. There are many different flavours of systems from the plug-in type to the more advance solar ready systems that we offer. A complete and quality “solar ready” backup system can range from R60k the best is to chat with one of our friendly consultants and they can design one for your specific needs and it all for FREE.
Battery backup for solar works by storing excess energy generated by your solar system in a battery. When your solar panels are producing more energy than you are using, the excess energy is stored in the battery. This stored energy can be used during times when your solar panels are not producing energy, such as at night or on cloudy days.
The time it takes to install a solar system can vary depending on the size of the system, the complexity of the installation, and the availability of materials. On average, it can take anywhere from 1-5 days to install a residential solar system. We have found that with our installation teams a small scale solar pv package generally gets installed in one day.
The amount you can save with solar energy depends on various factors, including your energy usage, the size of your solar system, and your location. On average, our clients reduce their electricity bill by 70%, this includes “poor weather days” and nigh time grid usage (systems that very small storage capacity).
The above is just calculated averages. Plain and simple answer is a Proven YES, you will save money! Sometimes it not about the system size but on how you as an individual manage your power requirements. If you work with your system (and we show you how to) you can easily reduce your bill by 90-95%.