SilverNodashi

Here's an idea:

I doubt it since the unit is rated at 4kw on the PV side. So then you need an 80A breaker

Don't you have a 80A breaker?

That would all depend on what your energy price is. The Pylontech's as example, cost about R1.20/kwh. Having more panels than you think often balance itself out on a cloudy or rainy day, when there's little sun to work with. It is often better to calculate for winter usage and have enough in winter, than calculating for summer and sit without power in winter.

The distance between the inverter and DB doesn't matter much, since it runs 220VAC. You can have those two upto a few hundred meter apart, as long as you use thick enough cable. The important part is the distance between the solar panels and MPPT, and the inverter and batteries. Ideally this should be as close as physically possible. Many manufacturers recommend no more than 30m between solar panels and MPPT, and no more than 3m from batteries to inverter.

What batteries do you have? What monitoring solution do you have? What is your load like during the day?

This is why I prefer retrofitting existing geysers over solar geysers.

That "control box" is probably the Raspberry Pi with some monitoring software on it.

Going solar will definitely save money in the long run. Whether you convert it to a solar geyser, or retrofit it would depend on your budget, roof structure and area. Evacuated tubes work very well, but you run the risk that it might be too hot in summer and your geyser could waste a lot of steam during the day. But many people claim they still work well in winter and cloudy days. a PV retrofit has the advantage that you don't need to worry about plumbing and you can control the heat.

^^ That. You should not be installing acid based batteries close to other electrical appliances / equipment, as corrosion from the gas could cause damage. IF you absolutely have to go this route, build a box around the batteries and vent them directly to the outside. Put a fan on the inside to pull fresh air in, and another exhaust fan to pull it out in the open.

That, or it's set to run Solar -> Batteries -> Grid.

Yes you can disable the grid feedback.

Without knowing your peaks, it's going to be a thumbsuck figure. My system runs on a single 4Kw Axpert with 9x 255W panels (normally 12) and we're offgrid throughout the day. My current 240Ah battery bank will carry us through the night if there's power failure. It will be replaced with a 5.9Kw Pylontech once they've reached EOL. Cost be was more in the region of R80K. It's an Axpert, so if it's a cloudy / rainy day it will switch the whole load back to Eskom, or batteries, if the load is more than the PV could supply. When I installed it the Infinisolar and Goodwe inverters weren't available, otherwise either of those would have been my first choice. Infinisolar is more expensive but you can parallel them. With the new legislation that CoCT is pushing through, we're limited to 3.5Kw on 60A breaker or 4.6Kw on a 80A breaker in any case so that's a big show stopper. I don't have any gas appliances, other than a portable gas heater.

Well, then get one locally. Mine outlived it's warranty already. And I know many people who's have as well.

I saw that, hence asking if the problem was perhaps resolved on a more permanent basis. But, as you say you never saw this before so perhaps it's something unique to his equipment

This is often one of the main problems with most installations. Clients want X, prepared to pay for Y and then expect 3X

Please do share. What is your gut feeling ?

Please tell me more about the generator connection which caused damage. Was it a compatibility issue, or what happened?

Sure. Why not? I know many people import much more costly SuperMicro and Dell servers with the same viewpoint as well. You should be able to import the control board as well if you want to

Yes, Voltronic manufactures these inverters and places like Mustel import and rebrand them. MPP solar is a different company though

So, could you resolve the problem?

You're right. The clamping zones is a big issue. Most big panel providers won't honor a claim if panels are installed this way. And I suspect heavy winds could tear, or lift, those panels off the roof. And, IMO, they're a bit close to the roof and might get hotter than they should. The battery cables should also not be open like that. Imagine a rat chows through it? SANS regulations stipulate that batteries need to be enclosed for safety reasons, which these aren't. And lead acid batteries in the bedroom will probably cause some health issues in the long run. Not to mention possible corrosion on some of their stuff as well.

For sure. It is better to get something that can be legally connected to your house, if you need it to be connected. Otherwise, as plonkster said, rather get a few thick, long extensions

"As close as possible" is the preferred answer. But looking at the circumstances, a long thick cable will work. On cars, when they put dual batteries in, the battery cables are often 7 or 8 m long, with very little side affect. So if you're happy with the cost, it's fine.

/facepalm. But this morning the system produced 338W at 7:30. Summer is better though.