Fuenkli

@Rautenk will set up (after his return from overseas) a meeting with the CoCT to discuss SSEG registration problems. I am compiling a list of possible agenda points for him. I will include your issue.

I have received the below reply from the CoCT regarding my enquiry to increase the capacity of the single phase electricity supply from 60A to 80A to be able to register my 4.6kW inverter. So it looks like all the doors have (at least for now) been closed by the city to successfully register an SSEG >3.5kW on a single phase supply ☹️. I will keep on fighting this issue and report back. If there is anybody else in CT in the same situation I would like to hear from you. Good day, Application to increase your NMD to increase your SSEG allocation is not acceptable practise and will not be entertained. Regards Shiraaz Swartland (Pr Tech Eng) Principal Professional Officer: Service Connection Planning (SCP) – North Tel: 021 444 2177 | Fax: 086 696 6068 | Cell: 083 324 2908 | Email: [email protected] | Web: www.capetown.gov.za

is it worthwhile going to the African Utility Week exhibition in Cape Town?

those connections are for battery and energy meter communications only. I use a wi-fi extender.

so true. It took me days to trace all the neutral. It would have taken the sparky who did the installation in my house only seconds to label the neutrals. I will also request a wiring diagram if I ever have electrical work done again.

me too. But I think it will ultimately (in the long turn) not make much of a difference. My view is, that SA is on a trajectory towards the African average level. The result of this trend is a deterioration of our standard of living. It will eventually get better again but I will not be around to see this.

I agree that Eskom is still (slightly) cheaper than batteries. Not having to cater for load shedding I would go for a simple grid tied inverter (like the Solis). With this set up you do not have to separate the essential and non essential loads.

I think a good strategy is not to put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you have money/investments overseas and all your papers are ready if you have to leave in a hurry.

as hard as it is to accept cost wise it is probably the only option we have until the mess has been sorted out.

jokes aside, I am 100% certain that nuclear fusion will one day solve humanities energy problems on earth for ever (or at least for as long as the earth will be habitable 😀).

this is clearly unacceptable and completely different to the experience I had with Goodwe. Who did you communicate with? All my issues I have addressed to: [email protected] have been addressed and solved within a short time

@RautenkI think this would be another valid question to table at the meeting with Ryno.

had a look at the Atlantis open cycle turbine power plant today. There was no action except that I almost got shot. An Eskom guy was not happy that I was filming. Anyway after some explaining he calmed down and was quite friendly. He told me that today the grid is stable and there is no need to produce power. There is a lot of construction work going on there at the moment. Lots of new Siemens equipment all over. He confirmed, that they are substantially increasing the power generating capacity. 20190503_124155[1]_x264_001.mp4

this is strange. I have the same inverter and never experienced this. You might have a faulty inverter. Did you contact Goodwe support? Maybe you can try to set max export to another value and see if that works and then back to 0 again.

I have a UNI-T UT204A (R860.00 at Communica) for high DC amp measuring. I had no problems with it so far. As @plonkstermentioned you do not have to spend thousands if you are not a professional.

True. So do you think that if you already have a prepaid meter the upgrade charge to 80A would be lower?

I probably also have no option than to go this route 🤬. I wonder what they are actually going to do to your supply. Do you think they will replace the meter? What is a split prepayment meter? @RautenkI think this is a topic for the discussions with Reyno. What do you think?

I see your point (although I think RCD's only protect imbalances downstream). It would be helpful for a sparky on the forum to clarify.

looking good. Another thing to consider is to move the RCD for the normal loads into the supply for the normal loads (it is between the grid and the inverter in your diagram). Can the experts on the forum please advice if I am right.

as mentioned above, the high water consumption was fortunately the result of wrong meter reading by the CoCT and not a leak. Your advice to check the meter regularly is very good. From now on I will also submit the meter reading to the city myself.

I was also worried about this. Can you imagine while we still flush the toilets with shower and washing machine water and then loosing 4 month worth of water through a leak ☹️. I was so relieved when I found out that the meter reading was wrong.

I have received the municipal account from the CoCT based on the wrong water meter reading (they charge me for 27m3 instead of 7). I could not find any working process to query this on line or over the phone. Do I really have to go to their offices? Anybody from CT with experience how to sort this out?

also replied to your PM. Herewith my input (I see some of it has already been addressed) - move the CT clamp to the Grid to house supply cable - add a indicator light to the back-up circuit - increase the main switch CB's rating between inverter and DB to at least 32A (I think the Goodwe manual even suggests 40A) - I think the K&A disconnectors between panels and PV DB board are not necessary - you don't need 4mm2 cables from the panels to the inverter. You have less than 10A there so 2.5mm2 is sufficient. If you want to use your batteries only at night you can program this in the inverter (you have to choose "economical mode"). The change over switch is only required in case the inverter back-up fails. There is no need for a contactor.

should be even higher considering that our energy is clean and Eskom's is VERY dirty 😉.

Good proposal. This approach has also been adopted for example in Switzerland. The grid operators are forced by law to buy the electricity from SSEG's at least at the price they would have to pay on the market. Also interesting is that the price for electricity varies depending how it has been produced.