Vleis

On top of the current load shedding, our area has been subjected to frequent power outages due to a troublesome substation and cable theft. I've finally decided to take the plunge and invest in solar power to achieve the following: 1. Continue to run critical components throughout power cuts / load shedding 2. Reduce the reliance on the grid as much as possible to save on electricity costs Our average daily usage is around 18-22kWh depending on the season. We've also got a gas stove and solar geyser so our peak usage should not be too great. What seems to be the best solution is to go for a Hybrid inverter coupled with a couple of batteries and PV panels. I've contacted a company that proposed the following solution: * Sunsynk 8kW Hybrid Inverter * 2x Pylontech US3000 3.5kWh batteries * 12x Canadian Solar 365W Poly PV panels I'm very new to solar energy solutions so please excuse my ignorance with the below questions: 1. Does the above seem like an appropriate solution? 2. How does the Sunsynk 8kW inverter compare to similarly priced inverters such as the Goodwe ES 4.6kW Hybrid Inverter and the Alpha-ESS Smile5? 3. If there are multiple cloudy days (i.e. no solar power being generated) but incoming grid power, will the inverter distribute grid power to both the backup circuits and non-backup circuits? 4. Does the inverter help prevent the backup circuits from power surges due to power outages? 5. How easy/difficult is it to switch an appliance from the non-backup circuit to the backup circuit at a later stage (For example, the solar geyser still has an element that switches on for about 60 minutes in the early morning and evening to give it an extra boost). During these times there would probably be little power generated by the PV panels so it would have to draw from the grid. But if I add additional battery capacity over time, would it be possible or even recommended to then switch it to the backup circuit? 6. How much would the installation of such a system cost and do you have any recommendations for installers in the Centurion/Midrand area? 7. Has anyone dealt with solar-shop.co.za before and what was your experience with them?