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Hennie I agree with you but taking into account the geyser peak pull is 3KW that is more than half of a 5KW inverter . Look i Love DIY but Electricity I don't play around with plus these solar equipment can be sensitive so can't play around with it if you don't know. So a pro must install. I have an electrician with COC and he says he done some installs . Will check it out . but here is my issue. 1) Money . A start is a start . I'm not rolling in it and money takes time to build up . so geyser start is something then will go on to the next . I do have a flat roof with space and the main house roof ( The house sits facing east if we take it as the front so the top ridge of the roof is facing about north north west ) So i don't know how efficient it will be unless 2 strings on either side . IF the geyser system with the panels last 10 15years its ok in my book . 2) Peak KW draw . Depending on which system I go for it the inverter can range from anywhere near 7000 to 35000 for a 5KW inverter . So geyser alone draws 3KW then pool pump I think 1.1 or less then heat mump 2.5KW It says so if all run a 5KW inverter wont cut it . So taking the geyser out of the equation already ads saving in the capital outlay department instead of going 10KW 12KW . 1 can go 5KW to say 8KW inverter . Although a LUX power is competitively priced. Then Batteries and solar panels 10 to 12 decently spect'd panels are from 15000 up 450Watt up panels . So don't have the capital . 3) I would like to do the whole system with cash on hand instead of loans adding to the burden on a monthly bases and adding costs. Otherwise I must just keep out and hope I can save a decent capital amount to install a full system. cheers Exactly buddy I think the same way you do , but only thing is I can't even afford a 4x4. I have always lived by the rule of More income .but keeping the expenses low to try and save . But it has become tough . So reducing monthly Eskom bills will be a blessing Especially if i lower that expense using Cash capital . This way it will feel like free electricity. And yes I believe Eskom will become far worse . unless I am wrong and they actually surprise us all. cheers

I am also in finances So for me its ROI , but also lots of other factors . I have tenants as well. Mostly 2 females and 2 kids use the main geyser plus 1 tenant female outside of the house is connected. So the geyser stays on 24/7. My wife has a pool ( Swim school) and I still feel the pressure as its 1 year old with a heat pump . U can imagine the winter costs on electricity i am sitting with. 1200 1400 units a month I am sorry to say but eskom and its government cronies steeling and looting does not give any confidence. And prices will just go up . If i can start going the solar route i will start somewhere at least . I have started a thread on another forum and have gotten a lot of advise and i learned a few things. I just want to reduce my monthly spending and being reliant on eskom . So yes I can also go grid tied inverter maybe say 5kw or 6kw and put the geyser on there ( Grid tied means it does not take a battery ) So even if in future u want to put a battery u have to sell your inverter or use it as a MPPT only . This will be abit more expensive Any solar inverter journey will be more expensive than the geyser controller cos for the price the 3kw inverters fit the bill but then might not be good for the geyser. and these are normally what they call off grid meaning it has to use a battery so batteries are much more expensive as well. So i am still thinking But i was planning since geyser pulls the biggest draw let me start with that . Maybe later get a 5k or 6kw for the main house and run the heat pump and pool as well. Will see how it goes . cheers

Hi I am also looking into this system PV Controller option I have DIY'd a few geysers on flat plates in Limpopo( Flat roof). Out of 3 installs 1 glass broke due to what looked like a stone ( Maybe Kids) . still worked well Polokwane has enough heat 2nd started leaking internally after about 5years use . evacuated tubes are more efficient especially colder more cloudy areas CPT JHB. Flat plates are good enough for limpopo. Summer sees almost no element usage and winter just a topup here and there( Tenants ) . After 6 years 2 heatteach geysers started leaking maybe my fault as i removed the anode after about 2 years . the spare geyser i had ( The first installed geyser) Builders was just electric about 2 years then flatplat went on . Changed the element gasket 1nc. then worked another 3 years . since took it off as government installed a plasma solar geyser. I used this geyser after 1 heatteach started leaking. still working and is maybe 10years old from new. Flat plates I bought ( AT Auction) 5 for like 1000 4 builders flat plates and 1 longer 1 all practically new but used .So cheap . even on FB market. I have a tiled roof with geyser in the roof ( Main house) So I tried getting some1 with a COC to install a retro fit for me . using my flat plate. All were busy insurance jobs new installs etc . 1 guy wanted me to buy a new tube collector a second hand 1 he had , but i could not meet the guy and he wanted a deposit . so he sounded like a scammer. so that didn't work out . On the other other hand retro fitting on a tiled roof . geez. Circulation pumps extra pipes fittings , controllers small solar panel , battery etc etc . Is alot of items that can go wrong. then there is the element of leaking due to pipes running through the tiles or pipes leaking in the roof. I am now looking into the elon smart or the PI2R MICRO as they are the cheapest . and also less moving parts . So same as OP I want to look around for second hand panels but 500watts is still pricey on the second hand market at say 1200 1300 maybe . so 3900 plus elon 3800 or PI2R 3300. Then panel brackets and consumables plus labor ? So Talia B How much does it cost for the material all in including controller and Panels New. Elon ranges from 9000 CPT to 11500 JHB with panels new but excludes consumables and labour. So still an expensive exercise. I ask cos it will help the OP and Myself and any other people interested in this system to know the full extend of the costs involved. Cheers