zsde

For surviving on minimal power, a 400W wall panel heater per room, then close interleading doors and only heat the rooms you need. Or electric blankets.

He good news is @TaliaB has been discharge and he is busy recharging hopefully to 100% SOC on a family farm.
His oxygen levels still need to recover and could take a while.
Thanks for the support on behalf of our friend.

The Reality here is that it just makes more and more sense to go off grid then all you need to be compliant is a COC.
Even setting up small privately owned micro grid then starts making more sense.
My 2 cents.

Good to have AfriForum asking the right questions and based on what laws can a metro try and boost it's income - until all that can afford it moves to off grid
R2,400 fee for people with solar panels on their roofs in...
AfriForum has demanded that the Municipality of Emfuleni explain why it wants to charge residents who use rooftop solar R463 per month and a R2,400 application fee.

I am very happy that the inverter keeps my voltage level spot on during time of use activated. Been using it for 17 months.
I am also off grid most of the time. I do switch the grid on via a timer after 4h00 just to always have some battery capacity.
I thus use as little as 100-300wh grid during the 4h to 8h30 period. Most day even in winter no grid even in this morning period. Only when thick clouds during the day like we had the last month do I switch grid on at other times but only if needed.

"I do still believe the inverter's idea of SOC and the real SOC is not always aligned, meaning any inverter setting that is based on SOC is kinda a hit and miss situation."
This is perhaps the case on most inverters as most will be using voltage and not measure energy via a shunt if comms are not used and voltage settings.
I am wondering about the statement that the Deye might not adhere to the maximum load when in island mode. I would guess the 12kW calculates the same as the 5kW. My 5kW is set to only provide 4kW load and can confirm that it has switched of about 3 times when the setting is exceeded.
My experience is not applicable to the batteries you have but see no reason why not to run in voltage mode until you got the upgrade with other batteries and going back to using comms.
I am running 4 battery banks on voltage mode and they have their own BMS for the protection/balancing features. 2 are DIY.
Use the inverter SOC only as a guidance and not if you want to say use 20-100% of the battery. My inverter will report over 50% most mornings but it does not concern me even if the real SOC is 35 or 65%.

Great news
Voltage mode will work fine without risk of damage and I am sure the Deye will keep loads at bay until you can make a plan on the battery these new 16KW batteries are pretty impressive and there are a few decent units under different brands available I am busy testing the Hubble AM16+ and its pretty decent there are other solid brands like the Kynee that we are also getting great feedback and will be reviewing soon and the New Pylontech Fidus is IP65 and also seems like a solid unit have not tested it yet but hope to soon.
Typically installers know the products they punt and not always interested in things outside of their realm of what they know.
Regards

Just an update on this post thank you Hostafrica for taking down the 2 Glo Solar websites both are not working and co.za domain authority for taking down the other 2 this is greatly appreciated.
If you get scammed or were scammed please remember to make a Police Case and report to your bank it might not feel like its worth it but I can assure you it is and essentially we will win the fight against these scammers.
Another website up by these glo solar people: https://globaltechsolarenergy.co.za/ Global Tech Solar Energy is a scam.

So true,
Also running an off grid system. My winter production is always higher than summer. If I were to max out the potential in summer with a constant load, then the summer numbers would be higher too.
The week between 15 to 22Jun was particularly low due to the cloud cover mostly, with last Sunday being my lowest ever for one day at just over 4kW from the panels for the whole day.
This is what my last 12months looked like.




and the sudden drop in production from 15 to 22Jun is clearly visible in the "last 30 days" graph.

In Gauteng my install of just over 6000kWp is at a 26 degree angle, and about 5 degrees off true North, and I have noticed quite a drop-off this winter, possibly due to poor air quality. That is over and above the cloudy weather that we have experienced in Gauteng.
It is confirmed by my weather station, which measures W/square meter, here is the graph for the year to date (1 Jan 2026 to 24 June 2026):

In January I was regularly getting peaks of over 1000W/sqm (even 1171 in February), this has now dropped to my best peak in June at 576W/sqm.
Here is a graph of the last 12 months (25 June 2025 to 24 June 2026):

So yes, it's is quite a significant drop-off from Summer to Winter.

Here are my Port Elizabeth weather station's graphs, for the year to date (1 Jan 2026 to 24 June 2026):

Ignoring the dip in March/ April and the spike in May (due to various comms issues), you can clearly see peaks of well over 1000W/sqm in January vs barely over 500W/sqm in June.

Here is a graph of the last 12 months (25 June 2025 to 24 June 2026):

So in my experience, with both coastal and inland installations, it is generally a drop of around 50%.

Indeed, but now we are comparing two totally different metrics 🙂 and yours has a whole lot more variables.
My best month this year was May, then again I have been off grid since December. But I also upgraded my battery bank in March, and started deeper cycling (and evening usage) in May.

The thing I have with unknown suppliers is looking at their websites.
Some links on their website are incorrect, or show irrelevant information.

These are nice words, but they are just words...
I have never heard of your company, so personally there is no "continued trust" from my side - in my book, trust must be EARNED. Given that you have not answered my simple questions posted above, you have lost any "trust" from me that a fancy certificate (that could have been drawn by anyone...) might have generated.
As for your goal to "reaffirm your confidence in Pylontech", what is wrong with Pylontech themselves? Don't they have any executives with enough backbone to admit that they screwed up, and that they will now change their ways and ensure that their representative(s??) in South Africa will from now on treat their customers better than what was the general case in the past?
To be frank, I don't envy you trying to put right what others before you screwed up - but you won't be successful until you can convince the South African end users that your actions earn the trust that you would like to have... and that starts by being totally honest in your answers to questions asked in good faith.
I still want to know if Pylontech have any other appointed "Partners" in South Africa, or are you now the sole South African agent and legal representative of Pylontech for sales and service?

@Solar Deity PTY LTD
Glad you got an extended period.
Please ask Pylon Technologies Co. Ltd (?) to send you a new certificate.
"is athorized as" SIC. 🤣

4 New Websites up
Premier Solar Solutions is a scam: www.premiersolarsolution.co.za

Alpha Solar Equipment is a scam www.alphasolarequipments.co.za

Glo Solar is a scam https://glosolarsa.co.za
Glo Tech Energy is a scam https://glotechenergy.com

Good Day
My first installation done.
PV Modules: 40x Canadian Solar 615W panels (8 per string/ 5 strings). Total installed capacity 24.6kW. East/West configuration.
Inverter: 30kW Deye 3phase Hybrid.
Battery: Deyeness Stack 4 Tower 57kW. Operating voltage 230V (4 stacks plug and play in series).
Location: Hermanus.
Check- no surface mounted trunking from panels to inverter and DB to inverter. In conduit under plaster.

HI Guys
an update on the fivestar battery 400ah - i have installed a 16kva Deye inverter and the batteries are working well- the inverter picks up the batteries as a PYLON. and cummunicates fine with these batteries. how ever i did find out that the batteries diod not give their full performance so i had a guy from fivestar come out and check for me, they were set as a 300ah battery it took him 1 minute and he reset them to 400ah and n ow they work correctly. apparently this is common on these fivestars they set them down so you go and buy more.
Has any one tried connecting a full time display on these 400AH Fivestar batteries. would like to know if its possible to see the cell voltages without using a laptop. is there possibly a place on the BMS to plug in a display.
HI I got these at fivestar in JHB R26000-00 each for a 20kw 400ah

Your panels VOC is a bit too high. I have 650W panels and each has a VOC of 45V and Vmp of 42 so I could overspec my inverter quite a bit. 9 with your panels would be around 470VOC but with 10% leeway you overshoot the 500Vdc limit. So 8 would be the safest.

If you had similar panels to me you could have done 10 panels very easily and hit about 6500W. Not the 4480W you will potentially hit now. Not bad though as you are still over-paneling your inverter decently well.

Hello Everyone Just received the Hubble AM16+ and the AM5+ will unbox them this weekend share pics of what's in the boxes. I can however say both batteries are really Heavy already a good sign the AM5+ is almost 60KG and the AM16+ cardboard box almost 160KG wooden crate packaging included... all came on a pallet.
I will need extra hands to move that beast into place the good news is that it has wheels.
Exciting stuff will get some feedback from the Hubble engineer on how to make 3 Cloudlinks talk to each other considering the batteries have their own built in units.
Also get the new batteries to talk to the old AM2 Units...
Then I will start playing around with the batteries and get some meaningful testing done may even be able to share live viewing access to the two cloudlinks with links here on the forum.
Will keep you posted this weekend is unboxing and installing.

Hello Powerforum members,
Hubble Energy will be sending me one Hubble Energy AM16+ (16.1kWh) and one AM5+ (5.12kWh) for extended real-world testing and review.

These are part of their current LV Range which includes:
AM-2 – Popular 5.5kWh 51V NMC battery 1C rating, proven long-term performer.
AM-4 – Compact 2.56–2.75kWh 25.6V wall-mount battery with 1C rating.
AM-5+ – 5.12kWh 51.2V LFP with built-in Cloudlink, 1C rating and RGB display.
AM10+ – Larger 10kWh+ model in the + series with advanced features.
AM16+ – High-capacity 16.1kWh floor-standing LFP with wheels, built-in Cloudlink and high discharge capability.
S-100A – 12V 100Ah (1.2kWh) compact lithium battery.
X-5+ (New X-101) – Newer generation Rack Mounted 5.5kWh model with updated features.
X-101 – Established Rack Mounted 5.5kWh 51V model, widely used in hybrid systems.
Note:
Hubble Energy also has a very exciting HV Range, but this review will focus 100% on the LV Range especially for members who already own Hubble batteries or are considering them.
Hubble Energy will also soon release the new AM-2+, which keeps the same NMC technology as the existing AM-2 models but adds built-in Cloudlink and several extra features.

My Setup:
Main system: Solis S6 8kW Pro Hybrid (master) with a Solis S6 6kW Pro seeing the 8kW as “grid”
AC-coupled: Enphase micro-inverters + Solis S5 4.6kW grid-tied inverter on the Aux port of the 8kW
2kW Wind turbine on the Solis S6 6kW MPPT in constant voltage mode
Separate Solis 5kW Off-Grid inverter for additional testing
Existing battery bank: 7 × Hubble AM2 (mixed ages – oldest >5 years old)
AM2 cycle counts right now:
1411 | 1036 | 880 | 853 | 805 | 737 | 595 cycles Total bank health still at 99% – very impressive for the age mix.
What I’ll be Testing:
Daily cycling and performance of the AM16+ and AM5+ on the Solis S6 6kW and the 5kW Off-Grid inverter
Parallel operation between the new + series and my existing AM2 bank (old model compatibility is a big claim)
Mixing different aged AM2 batteries and different capacities with the new units
Compatibility with multiple inverter brands/configurations
Cross-brand testing – insider info from a senior Hubble engineer says the new Plus range can work with almost any other battery brand
Full use of the built-in Hubble Cloudlink (I have unit #388)
I’ll also be highlighting the exciting new ergonomic and safety features:
Wheels on the AM16+ for easy movement
Magnetic panels that neatly hide all internal cables
Front-accessible BMS and critical components for simpler maintenance
Active cooling, fire suppression, and more
The unlimited cycle warranty on these new models is particularly attractive and will be closely monitored during long-term testing.I’ll be doing a detailed initial short-term review followed by ongoing long-term data over the coming months.
Expect real numbers on efficiency, temperature performance, charge/discharge behaviour, Cloudlink functionality, noise, installation, display readability, and real-world interaction with wind + AC-coupled solar.
We will also speak nicely to Hubble Energy and ask if they can provide some products for a lucky draw / giveaway for Powerforum members.
If you have any testing requests (particular charge profiles, high-load scenarios, Cloudlink screenshots, parallel comms behaviour, etc.), please reply in this thread. I’ll try to cover as many as possible.
Product links:
AM5+

AM16+

This should be a very thorough and transparent review for the Hubble community.
Looking forward to sharing the results with everyone.
Cheers, @Powerforum Store

Hubble Energy AM5+ Brochure V1.2.pdf Hubble Energy AM16+ Brochure V2.3.pdf

Interesting Calculator
Thank you for creating and sharing this tool it’s a great idea and a much-needed step toward more honest solar payback calculations in South Africa.
I fully support the effort to show the difference between optimistic salesman figures and real-world outcomes.I’ve been completely off-grid for more than 5 years with older JA Solar all-black 365W mono panels that are still performing well.
Here’s some constructive feedback based on long-term practical experience:
Current market pricing example (June 2026) for reference: 24 × 460W JA Solar Bi-facial panels + mountings + accessories
2 × 6kW SOLIS Hybrid Tier-1 inverters
2 × 15.3kWh batteries (≈30.6kWh total)
Panels + inverters + batteries + delivery: R113,000 ex VAT
Installation: R30,000 VAT incl.
Batteries alone: ≈R58,000 VAT incl.
A few questions / suggestions on the assumptions:
Battery Replacement
The tool assumes a relatively high replacement cost (around R180k for a 30kWh bank). Current real prices are significantly lower. Would it be possible to allow users to input their own expected future battery prices?
Self-consumption percentage
The “you actually use only 44–61%” figure seems based on typical grid-tied homes. In a well-sized off-grid system this looks very different. After 5+ years off-grid I achieve close to 100% utilisation on a 24-hour cycle. In summer my batteries are often full by midday and all loads (including aircon) run directly off solar. An off-grid mode with higher utilisation options would be very helpful.
Hardware tiers, lifespan & losses
Equipment varies widely in quality and longevity, for solar panels inverters and batteries you have Tier 1 Tier 2 and Budget ratings. Have you considered adding options for different inverter/battery design lives, warranties, cycle counts based on actual loading, and system losses cables, conversion, etc? Cable sizing can factor in a 5% Plus loss or less than 1% loss on the overall system. Inverter efficiency converting PV to Load and Storing PV including conversion from LV DC to AC and battery conversion losses also varies between different manufacturers and voltage ranges LV vs HV.
Bi-facial gains & new technology
Many modern systems benefit from bi-facial panels (5–20%+ extra yield) and improving panel tech. Including these as optional inputs could add value. As an example simply having a reflective surface below a bi facial panel can mean the difference between 5% and 20% or more yield gain.
AI Optimisation
Premium inverters and aftermarket AI systems are already learning usage patterns, automatically switching loads, and improving over time. Does the model have room to factor in these efficiency gains?
Tariff Increases & Real Costs
With recent hikes already in effect and municipalities adding complex fixed/demand charges, your 10% default looks reasonable.
Opportunity Cost
The 8% discount rate is an important realistic factor. In strong off-grid cases it can be partly offset by high self-consumption, bi-facial gains, and rising utility prices.
Tax Incentives
Section 12B still offers companies 100% deduction in year one. A toggle for business vs private use could be useful.
Value of Reliable Power During Outages
Everyone claims load shedding is over, but in reality it continues under new names like “load shifting” and “maintenance”. Many small towns still face outages of 24–48 hours. For businesses, farmers, online workers and industry, the ability to keep operating can prevent significant income loss.
Factoring in the financial value of uninterrupted power (avoided downtime, spoilage, lost productivity, etc.) would make the calculator even more honest and realistic, especially for commercial and off-grid users.
Overall, this is already a very useful calculator that highlights important realities most tools ignore. Adding more flexibility (off-grid mode, hardware tiers, AI, system losses, and reliability benefits) would make it even stronger and applicable to a wider range of users.
My 2 cents

Most solar calculators online quote you a payback that never matches reality. They assume you use every kilowatt your panels make, that prices stand still, that your battery lasts forever and that the cash you sank into it could not have earned a cent anywhere else.
So I built one that does not pretend. You put in your real numbers and it shows you two figures side by side - the rosy payback a salesman quotes and the realistic one you are actually likely to get - then it breaks down exactly what eats the gap. Wasted daytime generation, panel degradation, the battery you will replace once down the line, financing interest and the higher fixed charge some municipalities slap on solar homes.
It is free and there is no signup. Set your own tariff off your bill rather than the presets and be honest about how much you use in daylight and you will get a sensible answer.
Anyone interested can have a look here:
https://southafricafacts.co.za/solar-savings-calculator-south-africa/
Keen to hear if the numbers line up with what you are actually seeing. Share your own setup and payback if you are up for it.

@TaliaB is still in high care and sedated while getting some rest. He breathes normally and DR would like his oxygen level to pick up to over 94%.

Premium Bifacial Solar Panels at Unbeatable Pallet PricesJA Solar 620W Bifacial
Trina Solar Bifacial – available in 615W | 620W | 625W | 630W R 2.63 per Watt (Ex VAT)
OR
R 3.02 per Watt (VAT Inclusive)✅Price includes delivery to ANYWHERE in South Africa!
(Full pallet quantities only.)Example pricing (per panel, delivery included):
615W → Ex VAT: R 1,617 | VAT Incl: R 1,860
620W → Ex VAT: R 1,631 | VAT Incl: R 1,875
625W → Ex VAT: R 1,644 | VAT Incl: R 1,890
630W → Ex VAT: R 1,657 | VAT Incl: R 1,905
How does this compare to the rest of the market?
Current retail/single-unit prices for similar JA Solar & Trina 615-630W N-type bifacial panels in South Africa are typically R2,100 – R3,700 per panel (incl VAT, excluding delivery).
That works out to roughly R3.40 – R5.80+ per watt for smaller quantities.
Your PowerForum pallet deal is significantly cheaper often 20-40% lower than standard retail, especially once you factor in free nationwide delivery.
Pallet specials from other suppliers are currently around R2.25 – R2.80 ex VAT per watt, so this is right at the sharp end of the market.
Why these panels?
Up to 20-30% extra yield from bifacial technology
High-efficiency N-type / Vertex cells
Excellent performance in South African heat & varied light conditions
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c81a9c8f2ada758 (1).pdf Datasheet_210R_NE19R.70_EN_2024A_web_20240806.pdf