9 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

I think there are many options to scale a system. Panels being the easy one. 

Inverters choose carefully. A good call is to try and get what could be the end state here. 

This would be my call to start even if small. 

The one rent to own option I saw from my boss for a rental system was so high that it wasn't worth it by a long shot. 

Alumo seems much better but haven’t seen their fine print..

While renting may have lower upfront costs, the cumulative payments over the rental period could exceed the cost of purchasing a system. Renting involves signing a contract, and breaking it early might incur penalties and not to mention the de-installation fee. Ensure you understand the terms and conditions before committing.  Renting may limit your ability to choose the type and size of solar system based on your specific energy needs as some rental contracts won't allow appliances like aircons,geysers and heat pumps.Before opting for a rental, carefully compare the overall costs, contract terms, and potential benefits with those of purchasing to make an informed decision.

I got quotes from the following companies:

• GoSolr
• Alumo
• Hohm Energy
• Versofy

 

I was not impressed with any of them, Hohm energy was the company that wanted to charge me a R22k project management fee.

There was a separate line item for installation & labour and another line item for the switch gear. I could not justify forking out an additional R22k for someone to make as profit for not doing all that much.

 

I was looking for affordability (prices they charge vs what I could purchase the items for) as well as what brands they had on offer (ie. Did they only offer SunSynk & Deye or were there other inverters on offer and the same with batteries).

 

End of the day, none of them were able to offer me any cheaper inverters such as the LuxPower or Growatt and none had more affordable batteries such as the Svolt batteries. Majority insisted on smaller panels in the 400w range (this is an issue for me in terms of maximizing roof space).

Maybe things have changed since I enquired with the above companies. I am not saying they are not viable options, although I would recommend them as a last resort and ensure people read through the small prints, T&C's and fully understand what they are getting themselves into.

 

If I was forced to go with one of the above, I'd likely look at Alumo or Versofy based on my experience. Versofy outsource to installers which are closer to your area (at least in my case) and this might allow for some slight customization of ones system.

1 hour ago, PsyCLown said:

I got quotes from the following companies:

• GoSolr
• Alumo
• Hohm Energy
• Versofy

 

I was not impressed with any of them, Hohm energy was the company that wanted to charge me a R22k project management fee.

There was a separate line item for installation & labour and another line item for the switch gear. I could not justify forking out an additional R22k for someone to make as profit for not doing all that much.

 

I was looking for affordability (prices they charge vs what I could purchase the items for) as well as what brands they had on offer (ie. Did they only offer SunSynk & Deye or were there other inverters on offer and the same with batteries).

 

End of the day, none of them were able to offer me any cheaper inverters such as the LuxPower or Growatt and none had more affordable batteries such as the Svolt batteries. Majority insisted on smaller panels in the 400w range (this is an issue for me in terms of maximizing roof space).

Maybe things have changed since I enquired with the above companies. I am not saying they are not viable options, although I would recommend them as a last resort and ensure people read through the small prints, T&C's and fully understand what they are getting themselves into.

 

If I was forced to go with one of the above, I'd likely look at Alumo or Versofy based on my experience. Versofy outsource to installers which are closer to your area (at least in my case) and this might allow for some slight customization of ones system.

You can check out solar advice, they do a rent to own option as well. Not sure how their rent to own contract is structured though

Ps...personal experience with getting a quote and almost a system from Hohm energy...be very very careful, i was attracted by their "low deposit" advertising but they hide a lot in legalese, which ended up in them essentially requiring 100% payment upfront before installation starts which this 22k "management" fee was part of...which i did not like. I realize a lot of installers require a big deposits to cover the cost of the equipment, but be upfront about it and don't hide it in contract t & c's. 

On 2023/04/24 at 4:02 PM, BigBear said:

Was considering Medium option with extra Battery but Large seems better..

Any thoughts? opinions? Experiences with them ?

 

 

Go Solar has a terrible reputation with post installation service, and we've experienced the same.  Its a great concept and we were SO excited to get our system.  Unfortunately we've had almost five months of problems - system that wasn't set up properly, very very poor post customer service in terms of monitoring the system.  We have continued to pay the same in electricity as we did prior to installation, so instead of saving money, we've added an extra R1700 pm bill which gives us some relief in loadshedding (could've just gotten an inverter for that though) Near impossible to have our concerns escalated to someone who could a) understand them and b) address them.   Shoddy installation that caused leaking in our roof and just the most frustrating and disappointing experience.  We're gutted - its a big monthly investment for us and we were so excited about it.  

Slowly we seem to be getting somewhere - but phew, what a painful, costly experience so far.  I would check reviews before going with them.

Fantastic company to deal with. Efficient, tidy . Very friendly.  Clean tidy what more can one say . Would have no hesitation in recommending them . Regarding the solar panels themselves.  To say I am delighted would be an understatement.  Turn on your tap loads of water . I keep checking my meter and it's hasn't moved . Totally worth getting them installed.  

Hi

We signed up with Gosolr mid March. I had to educate myself by reading their various articles about the operation of the system. Nobody informed me about battery settings. I saw on this forum that my battery settings can be changed. There was no saving on my electric bill. It effectively doubled because of the subscription fee. I complained on numerous occasions but wasn't heeded. Their after sales service is pathetic.Once I learnt about the settings, I tried everyone hoping to reduce my bill as my geyser alone was chowing 7 units a day. I learnt through trial and error, having my inverter beeping at 6am on a Saturday morning and again 4am during the week because I didn't know that certain settings doesn't allow the grid to charge the battery. The 22k cancellation fee was what stopped me from having it removed. I reached out again as a last ditch effort before asking them to remove it. Finally after 6 months, a technician listened,investigated and adjusted a clamp. He said because of the clamp we were hardly tapping into solar but mainly from the grid. After the adjustment I was using 3-5 units a day. For the first time in 6 months I finally saw a saving. I have now put in a claim to be reimbursed because their system was faulty. My excitement was short lived. A week ago, by chance, I noticed my meter flashing. This happens either at 11:20 or 15:30 despite not using any minor or major current chewing appliances during that time. When I check my inverter it shows 0.02KW coming from the grid and my house using 0.57KW. I don't know how long this has been happening but it's happend 3 times in the space of a week that I'm aware of.  When the meter stops flashing, I have lost 5 units. The other night I lost 9 units between 23:00-05:00. I contacted Gosolr and according to them,their system shows I used no electricity from the grid which sounds about right. There should therefore be no loss of units. According to them my battery also doesn't get charged by the grid either since I'm using the Gosolr managed setting. I'm not sure whether what they are saying is true or not. They said I could be dealing with a faulty meter. I now need to contact COCT because they installed a new meter beginning August. I am now averaging 10 units a day.