PsyCLown

I do not have any experience with the Axpert inverters, what would you consider a better inverter? Is there a specific function / feature you would like which the Axpert is missing? I have just upgraded from 2x Luxpower SNA5000 inverters to a single SNA14000 inverter and will have my SNA5000 inverters up for sale and this would provide you with a replacement inverter at a much lower cost. With that being said, whether you use the funds you have available or look at taking a loan, only you would know the right answer for that. Everyone's financial situation is different and so is their electricity usage and requirements. When I last looked at the solar specific loans, I disliked the fact that I was limited by the contractors I could use with the loan and I found those contractors had certain brands they would use and you were limited to those brands and their pricing at the time was on the higher side as well. If looking at a personal loan or credit card, well, interest rates are normally on the high side. However with you being off grid and not paying Eskom, if you were to look at it from the perspective of paying a loan instead of paying Eskom that could possibly work I guess... If your system is currently working for you (in terms of battery storage & solar panels), perhaps look at upgrading it slowly and avoid the monthly repayments and interest of a loan. Get a replacement inverter and then save up and increase your battery backup and/or solar panels, depending on where the upgrades are needed.

How much of an issue is it currently if your system is compliant in the sense that there is a CoC but it is not registered with Eskom? I am based in Joburg and an Eskom direct customer... but I really do not want to register with Eskom until absolutely necessary as to me it feels like unnecessary extra costs and hassle.

I was initially set on going with the Solis inverters when I upgrade but the HA integration seemed a bit iffy and limiting which put me off. @Pho3niX90 How has your experience been and would you recommend the Solis inverters, if one specifically wants to look at integrating into HA or would you say other inverters are perhaps a better idea. I recall the info you get in HA will always be delayed by about 5 minutes or so? Luxpower integration is fantastic and you still get access to the app & web-interface which they have been improving. Sunsynk works well and easily too. Luxpower do not have 8KW inverters so you're forced to go for much larger inverters. Sunsynk is a bit pricier compared to the Solis.

@SwitchVanDam I have not found a solution and was advised that it is likely due to PF and have not bothered spending money to get a clamp meter which displays PF as well. I have just accepted it and I am still saving monthly at least but I still have a bit of doubt and that will likely only go away when I upgrade my inverters - if I go for something other than LuxPower or if I decide to spend some money to try investigate further.

@Sylwia Apexium also have some DIY battery kits and they have an option with the JK BMS which might be a better BMS. I was considering the Apexium battery kits, however for similar money Svolt have a 280ah battery and there will be a 325ah Svolt battery available early 2025. I am looking to upgrade my battery backup and will likely go the Svolt route due to price and the convenience of having an already built battery with local support and a warranty. I see that Snaga has the 280ah Svolt battery for R28k, great value for money IMO. Depending on the price of the 325ah batteries, I will go with either the 325ah or 280ah batteries.

Only thing I can think of is to try and force the the BMS to balance the cells, but I could be wrong.

I did not realise there was a difference, I thought it was the same. They're all from the Tiger line. I see now that the 440W states 15 year warranty and the 555W and 575W state 12 year warranty, despite the 575W being listed as a Neo model as well. Although as you said, even the 575W offers better rand per watt value.

The concern is with regards to future proofing as the older, smaller panels may become obsolete. Whether that will happen or when, who knows. However I feel it might start happening sooner than we think but I could be very wrong. If we look at SIW: https://www.inverter-warehouse.co.za/collections/jinko-solar They only have a single panel option in the 400W range, price per watt is also higher (R3.24) vs the price per watt on the 555W panel (R2.93) So for now, it might make sense and be fine to limit it to the size of the older and smaller panels but in the future when they need to be replaced, if smaller sized panels cannot be sourced or perhaps end up most expensive due to them being hard to find it poses a challenge. It makes sense to allocate a portion of the roof to the owner and let them decide how they want to best utilize it, although if you want to specify rows and how many panels I would rather opt to base it off the typical size of a 550W panel and provide panel size limitations (dimensions & not watts).

I ordered that rail adaptor, hope it works. Thanks Scorp!

Its a 25A contactor. Where could I buy such an adaptor from?

Hey all, Hoping someone here can advise or provide some ideas with regards to a work around. I need to fit a 2 pole DIN rail contactor into a samite DB board. The samite to DIN adaptor does not work as the din rail contactor has a weird notch at the back as per the below photo and this gets in the way when using the samite to DIN adaptor. I believe CBI make a domestic contactor which fits a samite board, however it is 4 pole (so wont fit) but the bigger issue is that it is only NO and I specifically need a NC contactor. Is anyone aware of a DIN rail contactor which does not have this notch or have any ideas how I can mount this contactor?

I think you are referring to some of the 24v Svolt batteries, they have a BMS but there is no BMS communication. I am not aware of any work around, other than possibly trying to replace that BMS with a different BMS - I do not think it is worth the effort and cost though. You'd also void your warranty if you were to do this.

It depends on the situation. I went for multiple smaller batteries initially as it was more flexible and allowed me to add batteries over time based on my budget that is what was available and at the time it suited my need, I am now in a situation where space is becoming a problem and I would like to add more battery capacity so now I would need to look at replacing them for multiple larger batteries. It's unfortunate that Svolt do not offer their 280ah batteries in SA otherwise I'd likely look at replacing my current batteries with those. Another thing to consider is charge & discharge current, although this can differ a lot depending on which battery but I have seen 150Ah batteries with the same 100A charge / discharge limit compared to your typical 100Ah battery.

I know there are quite a lot of people who like the LuxPower & Hinda combo but how often does one do a firmware update on a battery and how much management does one actually need to do on a battery? Generally it is set and forget and only if there is an issue does one go and make changes. I believe the warranty is extended if you purchase a Luxpower & Hina battery which is a nice to have I guess and the Hina batteries are not badly priced but are also not the cheapest. So I guess depending on which brand(s) you were considering the Hinda might make more sense (ie. Over a Dyness or Volta etc.)

I wouldn't call it much cheaper. Generally only a R500 difference between the 48v (15 cell) and 51.2v (16 cell) Svolt battery. Svolt have the rack mount batteries which are cheaper than the usual wall mounted batteries and these are cheaper. They do not have a screen with the BMS though which is likely part of the reason for the lower price.