Bismuth

Hi all, Can anyone recommend good installers in Cape Town? I've been looking at getting a system installed starting with just a battery and inverter, expanding to solar later on. I'm decided on Victron for the remote monitoring, etc. Six weeks after putting out feelers, out of about 8 companies contacted, I have only 1 quote (where the margins on their hardware did not meet my willingness to pay) and the rest have simply dropped off without any responses (so I cannot even compare the one quote to anything). I know things are busy for these folks due to loadshedding, but it's a little shocking how much you have to beg SA companies to take your money sometimes. Does no-one use a CRM tool to track calls and emails? I've also had two generalist installers/electricians tell me outright they don't support Victron installations, they primarily do Sunsynk "due to superior support". Is my quest a lost cause? Thanks for any suggestions!

Hi All, Has anyone had experience with Quattro IIs in a grid-tied setup? It appears that they are not on City of Cape Town's list of approved inverters (although the Multiplus is). My understanding is that the Quattro II possesses the same anti-islanding capability now, but will this be a problem with SSEG registration? Thanks!

Wow, thanks for the comprehensive answer! This is very helpful. It sounds like the way forward is quite feasible. Thanks!

Hi All, Having seen some good deals online this month and looking to build out a system over time (but without the DIY skill), I was curious if there are installers who would do just the actual installation work? (Cape Town specifically) My logic is that I can afford to acquire a hybrid inverter now and then choose between kicking off with a decently sized battery as a load shedding mitigator or go the other way around and buy some panels and forego the battery for the moment (as the faster recoup the electricity bill option). I would then add the second half of the system a little down the line. (I prefer this build out to having a smaller/under-specced system in full) a) It appears that pricing in some of the online stores is better than what certain installers quote on hardware. Are folks buying this way all DIYing their setups? b) I haven't asked anyone directly because I assume they wouldn't like losing their margins on the hardware (and I'm not sure how dealing with warrantees/guarantees would play out) c) Have I overlooked anything in my planned phasing(i.e. build half the system and then the other half)? Thanks in advance!

I second the push for cc options. It's simply impossible to get your money back via an EFT if things go wrong. You don't have to go full merchant account with cc providers, but can even create online payment links via easy electronic payment means such as Yoco, Ikhokha, Snapscan, Zapper, etc. Payfast is great for enabling a number of payment options in one merchant account. I run a business and constantly struggle with suppliers who are strictly EFT transfer. We prefer suppliers with cc options as a rule. What is forgotten is that there are "cash costs" even when you are not depositing physical cash. First there is the overhead (in the form of labour hours) for tracking and checking payments (for the purchaser this is an equivalent amount of labour on the payments side), matching to invoices, etc. Second is the vulnerability of PDF proofs of payment - a total wash, so you have to wait for money to hit the bank (part of the labour involved in point 1). There's a whole administrator whose job it is to track to this stuff. In many cases that salary is going to be higher than paying a 2.5% fee on all your purchases. If you're a serious business the fee comes down as you scale up (volume discounts). The inverse is true when you scale a manual system, you have to hire more administrators. Finally there is removing friction from customer conversion. Amazon famously added the 1-click purchase so customers didn't drop out at or before the cart. The more steps and friction involved in completing a purchase, the less likely you land that sale.

Hi folks, I was just wondering whether anyone has had success with feeding back into the grid and feed-in tariffs in these two areas? Could it be sensible to size an ESS based on the potential recoupment on peak tariffs? Thanks!

This is very helpful! Thank you. Is my assumption correct that when the battery is full, the Victron would provide power to loads by bypassing the battery completely?

Is this active now in Cape Town?

Thanks Steve! This is very helpful input.

Thanks Steve! This is helpful feedback. I'll come back at some point with better numbers to ask for assistance on. In the interim, do you know if its the case with hybrid inverters like the Victron or Sunsynk that their "backup" power output will be well below the overall rated power? i.e. my current understanding is that there is a standard AC out (for all loads) and an "essential loads" or backup output which is run separately on the DB, which is rated lower than the overall inverter output. Is this understanding correct? Thanks!

Hi All, I'm new to the forum, but have done some reading and am readying myself to take the plunge on a system over the next few months, thanks to stage 4 loadshedding. My primary question is which system topology will be best to accomplish all three of: a) Provide daily solar power to power and energy intensive devices such as geyser, pool pump, air conditioning, etc. on a schedule to match peak solar output (e.g. run my geyser from 11:00 to 14:00 on excess solar) - maximising on the "thermal batteries" concept b) Provide sufficient power for other devices at other times (max anytime device would be an air fryer ~2kW) to provide cheaper energy than the grid c) Provide a backup during load shedding (or continue to do a & b as though nothing has happened). My understanding is currently that a standard DC coupled hybrid topology e.g. with say a Victron Multiplus II (I'm also open to other suggestions on hardware) is the simplest full setup that meets the above criteria. Is my understanding correct that such a setup would be able to take the solar PV DC input and direct it straight to large appliances, i.e. if it's a 5kVA inverter and there is sufficient solar power on can run a geyser or aircon, etc? Is it not in such a case charging the battery with a built in MPPT (is it a built in MPPT?) and then discharging and converting it to AC? Or does it decide how much of the incoming DC to direct at either of those actions? If it does all of the above mentioned, what would be the reasons for adding a PV AC inverter (like a Fronius Primo)? Would it just have a higher combined power capacity (if say some heavy loads are being fed by the PV inverter and the Hybrid inverter is just "topping up")? Is my assumption correct that what makes such a system that much more expensive is not so much the addition of the PV inverter, but the need for (per the Victron website) "1.5 kWp installed AC PV power requires 4.8 kWh of battery storage"; which would make a 5kW system require >15kWh of batteries? Why does Victron show two separate grid tie inverters in the below topology under "ESS introduction"? I thought this just needed solar MPPT feed to ensure the "microgrid function" when the grid is down. A few other random questions: - I'm assuming for a standard SA household one can safely ignore all 3-phase stuff online? - Is there a good "plug and play" device one can use for a month or two before getting a system to log power consumption and do "right-sizing"? - Does living in Cape Town with the new feed-in tariff change make any difference to system considerations? Thanks in advance for your patience with the long post!