FAQs

A 3-bedroom house consisting of a fridge, freezer, 2 x smart tv’s, WIFI, washing machine, tumble-
dryer, microwave, dishwashing machine, pool pump, electric fence, electric gate motor/garage door
motor, 2 laptops, cell phones & tablets. Will need the following @ an approximate cost of R350 000
to R400 000 to be totally OFF GRID. Hardware quantities can be adjusted for the individual.
– 10kw of inverter power (2 x 5kw)
– 20kwh of batteries (4 x 5kwh batteries)
– 16 x mono solar panels (size dependant on inverter inputs)
You would also need a generator as a backup for dark, rainy cloudy days when the battery power low & the solar panels aren’t producing enough electricity to support the load or charge the batteries. A conventional geyser will not work in this case as a typical geyser consumes around 4kw of power. A gas geyser or solar geyser would be needed if you plan to be OFF GRID as you would not have the benefit/would not want to use power from the GRID. With enough solar panels, a conventional oven can work in the day, but not at night due to high draw on the batteries which can cause the batteries to be drained out much faster.

Yes, it can be. You can start with a 5kw inverter & a single 5kwh battery & add on solar @ a later stage. You can then add more batteries, solar panels & even more inverters as your needs grow.

The main point to remember is that the long-term plan must line up with a short-term plan. For example, you can buy a 3kw inverter now which will suit your short-term goals but will not be seamlessly integrated into an off-grid system. The solar input on a 3kw versus a 5kw are vastly different with the 3kw being able to handle 4 to 6 panels & a 5kw being able to handle 10 to 12 panels. If you start with a 5kw inverter now, you can add on another 5kw inverter later as a parallel system seamlessly with minimal changes.

Yes, you can, although it is not advised. Different makes of panels have different voltages, amperages & outputs. You should not have 595w panels & then 400w panels on the same string/circuit. You can have them on different solar charge controllers as some inverters have dual- solar charge controllers’ chargers built in. If they are on the same string/circuit, the lower wattage panels will bring the higher wattage panels down to its level.