Travis Slier

what a load, this is really about extracting the maximum from the customer, aka, bend over, they'll service you....

Indeed. If you are not connected to the grid then you are master of your own ship. I wish I had the cash (or that I'd be working long enough to take a long term view).

There is a school of thought that says in that in an urban/suburban area going off grid is not wise because if you sell, purchasers will factor in the cost of a whole new connection, or decide it's going to be too much bother and take too much time.

At the moment my electricity bill is fixed by the current tariffs at R400 a month. Staying connected, right now, is the cheapest option available to me.

Looks like not only solar users, if you are like my mom, use less than 300kWh/month, since she's frugal, no solar, then they'll punish her for this, this is the kind of kak that will cause power shortages again, since there is no incentive to consume less, the more you use the less the price per kWh, I wish these wombats would go out of business...

Eskom is making the finance case to add an additional battery add 8 more panels and go from 20% grid usage to 0% grid usage.
Then I disconnect and go 100% offgrid.
Problem solved.

Aaah brilliant, gave the cable a yank at the mc4 connection(after turning off the entire system obviously) and it pulled out so obviously a bad crimping job by me. Replaced and sorted. I'll actually do a little yank test on all the connections on the new DC and AC combiner boxes to make sure all is happy
Thanks guys. Legends!!

If it's getting hot that means there is a loose connection. In the same way even an AC cable gets hot if there is a partial connection. Even 4mm cable can handle up to 25A DC. So it's important to check all the connections even the MC4. The MC4s if not crimped properly can also cause a lot of heat...
Check all the connections (MC4 to fuse holder to Surge protector) on the hot line ... You will find the culprit.

Good day All,
My name is David Drake and I am the Director for Sunsynk South Africa, I also sit at the repair centre in JHB so can comment on the below.
I understand the frustration that is felt when an inverter has failed, for whatever reason, and needs to be assessed and possibly repaired. 
We work on a first come first served basis.
We have had many discussions, and been shouted at many more times because there are "special cases" and installers that believe they are better than the rest, and therefore should get preferential treatment. Granted, there are some very good, very experienced installers out there that maybe should get abit of special treatment, there are also a lot of people installing inverters that should not be allowed anywhere near them, this is unfortunately the state of the industry.
The problem then when an inverter is booked in for assessment / repair is identifying what calibre of installer you are. Who gets the preferential treatment and who gets told to wait?
The only fair way, to everyone, is FCFS. 
With regards to lead-times and communication. Our lead times are generally in the region of 2 weeks for assessment. This time frame is unfortunately variable, there are a number of factors that contribute to returns, and therefore an increase in lead times based on volumes:
- Lightning is a massive cause of returns, if the system is not correctly or adequately protected it may be damaged. 
- Grid instability and 'dirty power'.
- Incorrect installation.
- Negligence or abuse.
- Incorrect system design and installation.
- Even no fault found. This frustratingly accounts for a large number of assessments.
- Etc, etc...
The reasons for return are many and varied, every inverter that comes into the repair centre, irrespective of the cause is  tested, repaired and thoroughly tested with results recorder, before being released. This is not a quick process, and will never be rushed. 
We have dedicated people that look after this part of the process, their role is to communicate and inform. For any repair related enquiries please contact: [email protected] or whatsapp on 0615044735. 
There are 10 highly skilled and experienced technicians that perform not only assessment and repair, but also offer support, guidance and training to installers and end users across the spectrum. Along with another 8 people performing administrative roles. These people work hard and are dedicated to ensuring that every repair is carried out correctly and as quickly as is safely and practicably possible.  
Mistakes are made, and delays are experienced, this is acknowledged. We do however endeavor to get things done.
It goes without saying that the success of the Sunsynk brand is driven largely by support, this is our reason for existence. 
Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any issues with service or support, I commit to you that they will be investigated and resolved to the benefit of all concerned.
Kind Regards,
David Drake.
Director Sunsynk SA
[email protected]
 
 
 

I own a few Victron stuff they are very nice. They were market leaders before the sunsynk/deye came along,they could of easily produced a similar all in one unit and continued to dominate the market just because of their good name. They missed a huge opportunity in my opinion. 

I'm not sure the case is solved, people were not willing to accept a fridge using 3000 watts but we are ok with a light?

Seems I bought at the height of the price curve... just like my crypto experiences. 😒
 

Such small panels are not popular and few are available from any seller. Cost to high for mounting more smaller panels 
Even my small 270W or 330W are not easy to find. 
Add to it the 25%tax rebate one can get on new panels. 
Panel prices have dropped big time since June. 
Just my 2c.

I have personally bought Jinko 550W panels from Leroy Merlin last week for R2399 per panel. That works out at R4.36/W for brand new Tier 1 panels. And on top of that, they charge only R65 for delivery. Hardly even worth putting petrol and going with your bakkie to collect.
Oh and besides that, they have 6 months return policy. So, if I see something even cheaper, I can still return them and buy elsewhere, if they haven't been installed.
Would you like to see the invoice?
 
But anyway, good luck with the sale.