Looking at installing a LS system, any advice would be appreciated.

[Divan85]

Ok so I am looking at installing a loadshedding system. Baby on the way late February 2024 so days of sitting in the dark watching Youtube and Netflix is over, need some power for lights to change nappies and heat up bottles in the middle of the night.

Option A:
Deye 5kW Hybrid Inverter
Volta Stage 1 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R40k ex VAT ex installation

Option B:
Luxpower 5kW (off grid) Inverter
BlueNova 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R36k ex VAT ex installation

To solar or not to solar, that is the question. Thinking of adding 10x545W JA solar panels as well. R23k ex VAT ex installation.

What are your thoughts on the two options and also adding solar.

Still waiting on a quote for the installation, what should I expect based on what you guys have been charged for similar installations?

 

[phenix456]

I would recommend option A with solar. Option A because that combo looks nicer, and solar because it turns an expense into an investment.

I went the DIY route for installation but would be interesting to see what you get quoted for installation.

 

[LouisABC]

YOu need a proper hybrid inverter, don't waste time on that size setup on an off-grid inverter.

Panels generate power, batteries not . If your substation goes? How will you generate power.

My recommendation, min 5kw hybrid inverter, 5Kwh battery and say 4/6 500W panels give or take. For a small household, it will likely cover a lot of your basic needs. Difficult to spec a system, without knowledge of current power usage, appliances etc. Also, what is your budget?

Installation give or take R15k, give or take amount of work. Unlikely to be less, maybe more like R20k.

That being said, good luck, everyone has a different opinion.

 

[LouisABC]

I would recommend option A with solar. Option A because that combo looks nicer, and solar because it turns an expense into an investment.

I went the DIY route for installation but would be interesting to see what you get quoted for installation.

Just be careful of the COC police.

Nicely done on categorizing a battery backup as expense vs solar added as an investment. BUt that is how you should see it.

 

[Cpt_GhostPants]

My 2 cents. It's a big investment and prepare some extra cash on hand (not a lot, about R5k) as things creep up while doing the installation.

Option A is better overall but if you can get the LuxPower Solar inverter instead of the off-grid inverter much better option. You will want to install Solar as this is how you make a return on your investment and start enjoying the system.

I only added panels this year. Waited 2 years to do. Funny enough, a lot of people don't tell you but your electricity bill goes up with a battery and invetrer ONLY. You discharge the battery during LoadShedding and then charge it back up when there is power. I digress.

I would still opt for Option A. Deye have a proven track record and Volta seem to be the new flavour of the month. Haven't heard any complaints yet but time will tell. I would rather install 4 x 455W panels off the batt to at least start paying back the money from the start.

Install, battery and inverter only can expect to be anywhere between R5k-R10k with CoC.

Good luck.

 

[Confucius]

Ok so I am looking at installing a loadshedding system. Baby on the way late February 2024 so days of sitting in the dark watching Youtube and Netflix is over, need some power for lights to change nappies and heat up bottles in the middle of the night.

Option A:
Deye 5kW Hybrid Inverter
Volta Stage 1 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R40k ex VAT ex installation

Option B:
Luxpower 5kW (off grid) Inverter
BlueNova 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R36k ex VAT ex installation

To solar or not to solar, that is the question. Thinking of adding 10x545W JA solar panels as well. R23k ex VAT ex installation.

What are your thoughts on the two options and also adding solar.

Still waiting on a quote for the installation, what should I expect based on what you guys have been charged for similar installations?

i

Ok so I am looking at installing a loadshedding system. Baby on the way late February 2024 so days of sitting in the dark watching Youtube and Netflix is over, need some power for lights to change nappies and heat up bottles in the middle of the night.

Option A:
Deye 5kW Hybrid Inverter
Volta Stage 1 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R40k ex VAT ex installation

Option B:
Luxpower 5kW (off grid) Inverter
BlueNova 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R36k ex VAT ex installation

To solar or not to solar, that is the question. Thinking of adding 10x545W JA solar panels as well. R23k ex VAT ex installation.

What are your thoughts on the two options and also adding solar.

Still waiting on a quote for the installation, what should I expect based on what you guys have been charged for similar installations?

In CPT, you are not allowed to have panels on an off grid install so if you are thinking of panels, your only option between those 2 is A.

I asked a friend what he charges for a backup solution. Luxpower + Volta battery and the ballpark is 55-60k. Supply and install with CoC.

Panels will be more as you then need to do the registration as well.

Personally, it doesn’t make sense to not have panels. They are the cheapest add-on once you have the inverter / battery that can actually help with a ROI.

I’ve used the Volta battery with a Luxpower inverter and it’s a bit dodgy. I won’t use / recommend it going forward. Hubble is also off my list. 😂

 

[phenix456]

Just be careful of the COC police.

Nicely done on categorizing a battery backup as expense vs solar added as an investment. BUt that is how you should see it.

I'm The Captain Now

An I'm The Captain Now meme. Caption your own images or memes with our Meme Generator.

imgflip.com

*Just kidding above, I've got a CoC

 

[Neo_Geo]

i

In CPT, you are not allowed to have panels on an off grid install so if you are thinking of panels, your only option between those 2 is A.

I asked a friend what he charges for a backup solution. Luxpower + Volta battery and the ballpark is 55-60k. Supply and install with CoC.

Panels will be more as you then need to do the registration as well.

Personally, it doesn’t make sense to not have panels. They are the cheapest add-on once you have the inverter / battery that can actually help with a ROI.

I’ve used the Volta battery with a Luxpower inverter and it’s a bit dodgy. I won’t use / recommend it going forward. Hubble is also off my list. 😂

Wait you cant have panels on an Off grid inverter. Why ? whats the reason? Any source i can get because umhh why? COCT smoking something or am I missing something

 

[Confucius]

Wait you cant have panels on an Off grid inverter. Why ? whats the reason? Any source i can get because umhh why? COCT smoking something or am I missing something

Sorry. You can have panels on an-off grid inverter but then it needs to be as intended, totally off-grid.

You cannot have panels on an off grid inverter and connect it to grid. In CPT, they use drones to check if you have panels and if the inverter is connected to grid and is not NRS approved, you end up with serious issues. NRS approved will enable you to be grid tied. The coct has a list of inverters that are approved.

 

[Divan85]

I honestly don't understand the Luxpower inverter, it is listed as an off-grid inverte but it mentions it has a "hybrid mode"? Either it is a hybrid inverter or it isn't, so that is confusing.

The combo(s) I am looking at are:
1. R40k ex VAT - Deye 5kW / Volta 5.12kW
2. R63k ex VAT - Deye 5kW / Volta 5.12kW / 10x 545W JA Solar Panels

So either way the inverter and battery is kinda fixed, unless I can find a better combo somewhere else. The only real question is do I take the solar straight away or add it later. The way I see it if I don't take solar it will be an increase in electricity each month as I will use additional electricity to charge the battery, if I go solar then I will save as I use solar for general use and to charge the battery.

 

[Confucius]

I honestly don't understand the Luxpower inverter, it is listed as an off-grid inverte but it mentions it has a "hybrid mode"? Either it is a hybrid inverter or it isn't, so that is confusing.

The combo(s) I am looking at are:
1. R40k ex VAT - Deye 5kW / Volta 5.12kW
2. R63k ex VAT - Deye 5kW / Volta 5.12kW / 10x 545W JA Solar Panels

So either way the inverter and battery is kinda fixed, unless I can find a better combo somewhere else. The only real question is do I take the solar straight away or add it later. The way I see it if I don't take solar it will be an increase in electricity each month as I will use additional electricity to charge the battery, if I go solar then I will save as I use solar for general use and to charge the battery.

It doesn’t matter what manufacturers claim. NRS certification is what matters.

Luxpower do make a proper hybrid inverter but the sna5000 is not it. The hybrid mode on the sna5000 basically means that you will be able to blend solar grid and battery which your typical axperts will not be able to.

1 major advantage of the deye or a proper hybrid is that you can also feedback to loads before the inverter when grid is available. Example, you can send power to your non essential loads (geyser, pool pump, oven,etc) when the grid is available but when grid is down, these are also down. This means that you can use get further savings by using solar to heat your geyser during the day.

 

[sAnD.MaN]

You can always add on a few more panels, even a battery or two,

But I urge you to get a 8kw inverter

Unless you are a small user of electricity, you'll end up tripping the 5kw constantly

Get the 8kw Inverter, upscale panels etc. Later as needed.

 

[Cpt_GhostPants]

You can always add on a few more panels, even a battery or two,

But I urge you to get a 8kw inverter

Unless you are a small user of electricity, you'll end up tripping the 5kw constantly

Get the 8kw Inverter, upscale panels etc. Later as needed.

I have a 5kW Inverter and I tripped it maybe once or twice. Mainly because I ran the kettle and microwave simultaneously. So just don't run high wattage appliances simultaneously.

 

[Divan85]

I originally wanted a 8kW inverter, however I simply don't have the enough money for that.

My load will be:
11x lights (all LED, think 7W), so lets say 100W total
1x 65" QLED TV + soundbar guessing around 200W
Mid level gaming PC guessing 400W
Fridge - 100W (dont know, apparently 410kWh/year)
Alarm system - maybe 50W
Electric fence - say 50W

So total around 900-1000W + 50% for unknowns = 1.5kW

So I am guessing a 5kW inverter should be sufficient. I would still have to ensure I don't switch on multiple high consumption appliances at the same time like airfryer, pressure cooker, kettle, microwave, etc.

 

[LouisABC]

Wait you cant have panels on an Off grid inverter. Why ? whats the reason? Any source i can get because umhh why? COCT smoking something or am I missing something

Most likely a technical reason. Hybrid can blend power usage between various sources, off-grid use a signal power source at a time. I guess due to alligning with the cpt grid, that is one of hte requirements.

Anyways, off grid on 5kw inverter or bigger is just dumb. Not spending money wisely.

 

[LouisABC]

I originally wanted a 8kW inverter, however I simply don't have the enough money for that.

My load will be:
11x lights (all LED, think 7W), so lets say 100W total
1x 65" QLED TV + soundbar guessing around 200W
Mid level gaming PC guessing 400W
Fridge - 100W (dont know, apparently 410kWh/year)
Alarm system - maybe 50W
Electric fence - say 50W

So total around 900-1000W + 50% for unknowns = 1.5kW

So I am guessing a 5kW inverter should be sufficient. I would still have to ensure I don't switch on multiple high consumption appliances at the same time like airfryer, pressure cooker, kettle, microwave, etc.

Unless you add a geyser, oven, stove or pool pumps, the 5kW should be more than sufficient for most of the times.

You can use kettles, microwaves, hairdryers on it as well without issue, but don't go and switch everyhting on at the same time. Just use it smart and efficiently. WIll save you some money as well.

 

[Divan85]

I am going to change the hob to gas so that takes care of that. The DEYE inverter has a "smart load" output, basically you can connect non-essential loads onto that which gets powered only if there is sufficient excess power available, ie. power your geyser during the day with excess solar power. You can program when the output is to be switched on/ off, ie. solar >xxW and battery >xx% charge level. Another reason why I want to add solar because otherwise I lose out on the possible savings on monthly electricity bill.

 

[Switch]

The only real question is do I take the solar straight away or add it later.

You want this as soon as possible as it provides you A) an immediate reduction in cost and B) mitigates against reliance on eskom/avoiding load shedding. Panels are relatively inexpensive, in comparison to batteries (most expensive) and inverters (second most expensive) when scaling up.

 

[Confucius]

I am going to change the hob to gas so that takes care of that. The DEYE inverter has a "smart load" output, basically you can connect non-essential loads onto that which gets powered only if there is sufficient excess power available, ie. power your geyser during the day with excess solar power. You can program when the output is to be switched on/ off, ie. solar >xxW and battery >xx% charge level. Another reason why I want to add solar because otherwise I lose out on the possible savings on monthly electricity bill.

For a pool pump or a spare geyser, the smart load makes sense. For the primary geyser, you don’t want your wife going to bath and there’s no hot water.

As I mentioned, if grid is available, you can still use solar to power your geyser or stuff of non essential.

 

[Divan85]

So I got my hands on a Sunsynk 5kW Hybrid Inverter, waiting for a quote on the battery, Volta Stage 1 5.12kWh. Then I can do the installation.

What I need to do now is calculate the no. of solar panels required, I am looking at the JA 550W panels. I have done some research but it varies. I am used to doing calculations for industrial and commercial installations so then you obviously go for maximum the inverter can handle, but for residential it seems overkill.

I also have a problem with limited roof space. My North facing roof is small, my East & West facing is much bigger with East the largest of the two. Problem is there is a hill with a large block of apartments East of me so that is not ideal. I think it would be best to use the West facing roof. I have to somehow figure out how many panels I can fit on that section.

 

[LouisABC]

Longi Solar Panel Mono 555W

Description Unleash the power of green energy with the Longi Solar Panel Mono 555W. A cutting-edge solar solution designed for efficiency and durability, this solar panel offers an eco-friendly way to reduce your electricity bill and your carbon footpr

leroymerlin.co.za

There ya go, panels at a great price. 555W Longi's for R1,999 per panel. No reason not to get panels now.

 

[Confucius]

Longi Solar Panel Mono 555W

Description Unleash the power of green energy with the Longi Solar Panel Mono 555W. A cutting-edge solar solution designed for efficiency and durability, this solar panel offers an eco-friendly way to reduce your electricity bill and your carbon footpr

leroymerlin.co.za

There ya go, panels at a great price. 555W Longi's for R1,999 per panel. No reason not to get panels now.

Was about to paste the same link.

 

[LouisABC]

Was about to paste the same link.

Ya, bit of a steal at < R4/kW.

 

[Cpt_GhostPants]

So I got my hands on a Sunsynk 5kW Hybrid Inverter, waiting for a quote on the battery, Volta Stage 1 5.12kWh. Then I can do the installation.

What I need to do now is calculate the no. of solar panels required, I am looking at the JA 550W panels. I have done some research but it varies. I am used to doing calculations for industrial and commercial installations so then you obviously go for maximum the inverter can handle, but for residential it seems overkill.

I also have a problem with limited roof space. My North facing roof is small, my East & West facing is much bigger with East the largest of the two. Problem is there is a hill with a large block of apartments East of me so that is not ideal. I think it would be best to use the West facing roof. I have to somehow figure out how many panels I can fit on that section.

I have Jinko 550W panels on my 5kw inverter. Just be careful to calculate the Voltage. I split mine on 1 ppts given they are not the same direction. So did 4x4. I think the voltage is 425V max. Your installer should know.

As money is tight in your situation. Just get 4 x 550W. That should fill up the 5kw battery with ease and provide additional load to power the house.

You won't be completely off grid but should reduce costs 50%-70%.


Good luck.

 

[Divan85]

I can get a Volta Stage 1 5.12kWh LFP battery for R20k ex VAT.
I can get JA Solar 550W panels for R2250 ex VAT (The Longi is also a well priced option, would have liked to see the datasheet though)

My problem is I don't have a North facing roof, not a sizeable one at least, so if I want to put a North facing string I would have to split the string across 2x roof spaces, not ideal. My East facing roof space is the largest so that is not a problem, can put any size string on there. Since North is not a viable option, my second string would then be West, the problem there is that I can fit 3x panels fairly easily, but I am not sure if I will be able to fit a 4th panel in that string. The problem is, taking temperature coefficients into consideration, my minimum voltage on a 3x panel string can be as low as ~100V which is too low for the MPPT. MPPT range is 150-425V. If I use 4x panel string then my minimum would be about 150V, so then I am fine. So basically if I only put 3x panels on my West facing roof then the string won't be very efficient as it would not produce enough voltage during hot days.

At the moment I am leaning towards two 4x panel strings, one East and one West. I just hope and pray I can fit a 4th panel on the West facing string otherwise the string would be a waste of money.

 

[Triggerxi77]

Ok so I am looking at installing a loadshedding system. Baby on the way late February 2024 so days of sitting in the dark watching Youtube and Netflix is over, need some power for lights to change nappies and heat up bottles in the middle of the night.

Option A:
Deye 5kW Hybrid Inverter
Volta Stage 1 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R40k ex VAT ex installation

Option B:
Luxpower 5kW (off grid) Inverter
BlueNova 5.12kW LIFePO battery
R36k ex VAT ex installation

To solar or not to solar, that is the question. Thinking of adding 10x545W JA solar panels as well. R23k ex VAT ex installation.

What are your thoughts on the two options and also adding solar.

Still waiting on a quote for the installation, what should I expect based on what you guys have been charged for similar installations?

Some advice on heating bottles. Get a decent bottle that seals when the cap is on. Pop it in bed with you. It stays at body temperature... Perfect for baby. Heating bottles in a microwave is actually a challenge. They typically get hot too fast and then you need to wait to cool them down.

 

[Divan85]

I had to read that a few times to figure out how that tied in with the topic of installing a LS system lol, but thanks for the tip.

Hopefully getting all the parts this week and if all goes well start installing the weekend. Will put up some pics once we get going.

 

[albaster]

install of inverter setup R7500+ depending on site. then add sundries to fit like cables, surge arrestors, pilot lights, breakers, fuses etc which are around another R4500+

budget around 15k and you'll have change.

adding panels then budget another 10k for labor and sundries and have some change left over.

25k install budget will include fitment, coc and registration with municipality.

 

[Divan85]

I have an inverter, Sunsynk 5kW hybrid (±R25k) - Got it as a gift from my company
Battery - Volta Stage 1 5.12kWh LiFePo = R20k
Solar panels - 10x Canadian Solar 550W = R22k
Additional equipment is around R12k

I estimate it is going to cost around R60k ex VAT (R80k if I had to buy inverter). I will do installation myself with some help from a friend who already did his own.

Will then still have to get COC and registration done by someone. Which will probably be another R5k, not sure.

 

[Divan85]

Ok so system is finally up and running, not 100% yet but close enough, 1x bad connection on MC4 connector so my 1x PV string is not operational yet, will be fixed this weekend.

Problem now is I have to get it registered ASAP. My prepaid meter is giving problems. What I have found is that the unit is actually only a user interface (UI) that communicates to the actual meter which is elsewhere (usually not on the property). It communicates via PLC (power line communication), basically it sends communications to & from the actual meter over the house (grid) wiring. What happens is that when the house (and thus the meter UI as it is pugged into a socket fed from inverter) is supplied by inverter, this communication fails.

Temporary fix was to move the meter UI and connect it directly onto my existing house DB (I left the E/L and a circuit breaker as spare). This way the meter UI is connected to the grid even if the rest of the house is fed from inverter, problem is when my inverter pushes excess power back into the house DB the meter UI sometimes looses connection. So in short I guess I need a new prepaid meter which they will install when I register the system.