Scubadude

Hi Davy. I have one for you (if still needed). PM sent.

... this table from Wikipedia shows a trend that feels intuitively more accurate than Eskom's so-called stats where the zero base, data gaps and flatlines are all red flags.

I saw this on a couple of business sites .... Don't.know why I find myself seriously doubting the stats. It just looks wrong. Maybe UN Comtrade data will give a more realistic view.

As the man said. No grid no power, not even solar. Just get the battery, you'll be glad you did.

I have a contrarian viewpoint ... It would be a terrible waste to have 8kW available from the roof on a sweltering Paarl summer's day (I know - I grew up there!) but the batteries are fully charged so output is choked to zero. What would it be worth to be able to run your a/c for free then? I say put everything on essential but be aware of what you use when, and automate some things (geysers) with timers. My brother-in-law in Courtrai did an install in January and from what I heard they are happy (they also put everything on essential on my suggestion). I can ask who they used.

Family of 6 .. we are about 75% down since we went solar. About half the savings came from a 300L EVT geyser, the rest from a 6.37kWp/10kWh/8kVA system. This could be better if: We had less loadshedding - at higher stages I go conservative and run down my batteries to 60% overnight (20% when there is no loadshedding) I had a higher panel pitch - 12 degrees not enough, especially in winter My family adjusted their lifestyle and habits (as they said they would but didn't)

I'm a mechanical engineer but what follows is strictly empirical experience. I run my pool like a settling tank and let the Kreepy earn it's keep. The pump gets a 1 hour midday slot between the two geysers ... Before solar it was 30 minutes per day. When it gets cloudy I add a flocculant and run the pump a little longer.

I had this on my Deye ... whenever the power came back it tripped. It was supposedly a bad (read badly installed) changeover switch which made voltage spike to 500V. In the end, the switchover *and* inverter were replaced. This and multiple other stuff ups put the man out of business.

I have a single story house but a large family - when my wife and kids get home late afternoon it is not uncommon for 2 showers and 2 baths / 3 showers and 1 bath to run at the same time. Maybe I can get away with a 0.75kW but I think 0.37kW may be a little light

Thanks Jacques. I was thinking the same. What about guys that had booster pumps long before they went solar?

Hi all, Spent my lunchtime at three pump shops across the street, looking for a backup water system. I am happy with a 2000-2500 L tank and 1.1kW booster pump. Question is, two of the three suggested VSD pumps instead of a standard DOL pump because I have solar. I understand about inrush current, but surely 8kW of inverter and 200A of battery supply will easily cope with this? Price difference is R2500 for standard vs R12000 for VSD pump. Is this additional cost 1) warranted and 2) neccesary?

I'm no home automation fundi but I got fed-up of my failing pool timer running down my batteries when not expected, so I replaced it with a CBI Astute ASC. Installation was quick and easy even for my non-electrical brain and setup surprisingly straight forward. In addition to the ability to set up timed operating slots, I also like the manual override for when I do the weekly filter service, and the count down timer for the same reason. That and the ability to remotely turning off when we have 8/8ths cloud cover and loadshedding between the 1 and 2 pm running time. BW price is R 459 until Monday 20 March. Well worth it I think.

Turned out it was only the element gasket. Sorted R500 later, so no decision required now. Would still like to hear any ideas anyone may have.

Hi all! I lost the geyser that feeds the kitchen and two kids bathrooms two years ago and installed a 300L EVT geyser to replace it. In an effort to make the solar heated water go further, it pre-feeds the 200L conventional geyser that serves the rest of my rather large family. This one is the higher usage of the two, and the one that just decided to burst at midnight on a Saturday night ... Why can it never be lunchtime on a Tuesday? Any case I need to decide what to do. My first thinking is to ask for a cash settlement and get a new 200L EVT for the kitchen and kids, and move the existing 300L closer to where the high consumption is. Any thoughts on alternatives or what to watch out for when relocating solar geysers?

Section 12B has been in force for years. Full depreciation in year 1. Not a subsidy but there is some cash flow advantage from the expedited depreciation. Edit: I see the deduction for businesses is now 125% for renewable projects from 1 Mar 2023 to 28 Feb 2025. And not just panels OK that is something.