Duke_of_Hazard

Update:
Working again,
 
Local IP Address had changed for Solar Assistant and needed to be changed in the config file in MQTT.
Will assign permanent IP's to SA and HA in the near future, ISP supplied Huawei Router is 💩 and heading for an early retirement soon.

Yes next up is monitoring alerts!!! Can’t wait

Sorted.
Found someone on Facebook with 5 star Google and FB reviews, price was fair and installation pics look good.
 
Will post a pic when done

Contact @steve87. Maybe he can assist.

Somewhat inspired by @RichardZA's post of his experience for the year I thought I'd share my own which is quite different.
Firstly, my system:
8kw Sunsynk inverter
3x3.55kwh Pylontech US3000C for 10.65kwh total capacity which I cycle down to about 20% SOC minimum in order to have an emergency backup as they can go down to 5%.
20x Longi 445W panels for 8.9kwp potential facing due north on about 15° roof angle. There is a small technicality here that the one string is clipped at 20A from a potential 22A, but this only really comes into play for a couple of hours a day.
My total system cost was about R165k installed. I did buy things individually and had some contacts in the industry on panels. I did parts of the install myself and got an approved Sunsynk installer in to do other bits. I got quotes at the time for a similar system and they were around the R210k mark fully installed and all equipment provided, so for my R45k saving of DIY and cobbling things together I thought it was worth the risk. That saving is a whole new inverter and more. So I guess time will tell if I made the right choice if warranties are called into question, but so far so good.
 
Then some stats:
Days online: 365
Days with power failures/loadshedding: 157
% Days with power failures: 43%
Total solar production: 10 520 kWh
Average per day: 28.82 kWh
Hours per day at max solar production: 3.24 hours (i.e. the 28.82kwh per days divided by the 8.9kwp solar production potential, many installers will use 4 hours as the number so I am slightly oversized but that helps on cloudy days)
Rands saved: R23 422 (based on the CoJ sliding scale pre-paid tariffs)
Breakeven point: 7.4 years
Off-grid %: 95.4%
I should add at this point that the breakeven point should decline further as the electricity cost increases, so I would estimate between 6 and 7 years will be where I land. If my system lasts 10 years that would mean a 9.7% return on investment and if it lasts 15 years it would be a 15.5% ROI (this is assuming 10% eskom increases over the period and no maintenance costs), so much better than the money sitting in the bank.
 
Everything is on the essential side. Home Assistant runs the whole house, so cuts things off when there are power failures and also does the day to day scheduling of my 2 geysers and heat pump on the pool. If anyone is on the fence about going the Home Assistant route I can assure you it is an effort worth making to get the max out of your system. I was at around the 80% off-grid mark before I got Home Assistant going and now at 95%, that difference will add up over the years.
We aren't militant about being off-grid, but things like an airfryer has helped reduce usage instead of the oven, and a lower power kettle helps reduce peak loads. I have also turned UP the temperature on the geysers during the day so they get hotter when the sun shines and then don't have to turn on until the sun shines again the next day. And if the geyser for the morning showers does need to turn on, it only takes the water to 48 degrees to limit that usage.
 
Hope this helps someone!
 

I've browsed this forum a few times whilst doing homework on Solar systems as it occasionally pops up on Google Searches and links from MyBB.
I've played with some small off grid 12V systems for CCTV Cameras and a small 12V Flood Light but now I've secured a small loan from my Parents for a decent solar system on our house. I am a qualified Sparky but I do machine repairs and Automation and have no idea what the rules and regs are for installations anymore, last time I wired a house I was an Appy in 2006 and Solar was a pipe dream for the very rich back then.
Goals are to have 24/7 power for the Missus who WFH.
2022 year we had collectively 13+ full days no power and 2023 off to a bang with 8 full days of no power due to cable faults, tripping substations at 22h02 like clockwork, faulty prepaid meter and the list goes on.. These amounts exclude load shedding.
Setup:
Very tree filled area so the almost exactly North facing roof is fully shaded until around 08h00 this morning where it starts to clear up until around 15h00 when it gets covered by another tree from the other direction, the second tree is removable and in my property but will play by ear as I don't want to remove it unless absolutely necessary and I also don't want to split my array.
I am buying the materials (7x Panels, Inverter and Battery) and I have been quoted by a company R28k to install it with the cabling and switches, mountings, labour, COC, etc. I think that's a fair price considering the work involved, all Qualified people too.
I've bought the following:
Deye 5kw Inverter R24k
Deye 6.1kWh Battery R37k
7 x 555W JA Solar Panels from Segen Solar R28k incl. Delivery. Though these are only arriving after 11 May 2023.
Planning to do a single string in series and possibly a smaller East facing string on my detached garage, depending what the installer quotes at a much later stage, priority is to pay back the loan first before a 2nd Battery and then the extra String.
Specs: 3885W Peak
I don't have the figures on me now but it will push around 350V and 13.1A, just 0.1A over the max of the Deye MPPT Input in the unlikely event that I will achieve anything near the peak output.
Goals:
Reduce dependance on a useless Municipality who'd rather reset an obviously faulty meter 8 times rather than replace it, until a ward councilor gets involved and forces them to replace their junk.
Reduce dependance on a broken power utility.
Offset some of our carbon footprint which is a big thing for us.
Integrate with the existing Home Automation system by adding in Solar Assistant and fully setting up the currently disconnected Home Assistant when the Inverter system is installed. I'll be adding some CBI Astute plugs for the Tumbledryer and Dishwasher when there is excess solar or it's at it's peak.
I also want to add more of their DB Board timers on the Stove Circuit and Solar Heated Jacuzzi. I want the stove to turn off when the mains drop so you have to turn it back on manually, knowing you are now in battery mode.
Replace 4kW geyser element with 2kW PTC unit, currently controlled by a CBI Astute in the DB. I really love these timers and I didn't expect much from it when I bought it.
I'm hoping to be able to run off grid for a few hours at night between 22h00 and 04h00 or until battery SOC reaches 75 to 80% where the only thing running are the appliances on standby mode, fridges and Security Lighting around 200W to 300W. My understanding on the Deye Inverters is that there is a setting for this, but will see when it arrives and is all installed. I also intend to have Home Assistant switch off non critical loads when the battery levels are low... Maybe at 30 or 40% the 230V security lights will switch off leaving the Solar Ones shining their little lights, then the fridge or freezer, etc. Not sure what the parasitic draw on the Sonoff and Astute switches are but I may even use them to switch the office stuff off at night depending on their current draw vs cost to implement it.