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Back up System with Room for Expansion!


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Hi All,

I am looking to divorce myself of load shedding. Frankly I AM TIRED hahaha. I my complex, we are not allowed to have solar panels (yet) and as a result I would like to build up a value based system that has the ability to add panels in the future. I live alone and I'm looking to keep my lights on, my fridge, my gaming system and my entertainment system all up during LS.

I have been eyeing a Growatt system as they are markedly cheaper than Sunsynk/Deye, however I was wondering if there are alternative options that forumers have used and like.

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This is a perfect way of starting off,and Growatts are decent inverters without the extremely advanced extra features deye/sunsynk has

Get your Inverter,battery,cables and fuses and later if you move you can add panels onto a capable system

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Alternative is Axpert like a mecer + 2 x 200Ah Lithiums.

Won't find better value for money and since it's a flat you don't need all the fancy features.

Add Solar Assistant and you have all the fancy features. 

That said, Growatt is a very nice unit.

Edited by Chris.P.Bacon
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25 minutes ago, Chris.P.Bacon said:

Alternative is Axpert like a mecer + 2 x 200Ah Lithiums.

Won't find better value for money and since it's a flat you don't need all the fancy features.

Add Solar Assistant and you have all the fancy features. 

That said, Growatt is a very nice unit.

I assume this is a 12v/24v config you are discussing,48v lithiums x 2 would be prohibitive for a small set up and 12v would have very limited upgradability later

I'd rather go 24v - 3kw or 48v 5kw if upgrading is the future plan

Edited by PsyWulf
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16 hours ago, Tuntira972 said:

Hi All,

I am looking to divorce myself of load shedding. Frankly I AM TIRED hahaha. I my complex, we are not allowed to have solar panels (yet) and as a result I would like to build up a value based system that has the ability to add panels in the future. I live alone and I'm looking to keep my lights on, my fridge, my gaming system and my entertainment system all up during LS.

Just check the smallprint in your lease. It may be that you lay out the money, get the system wired into your DB, and then find that you have to leave it behind if you move out. 

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4 hours ago, Bobster. said:

Just check the smallprint in your lease. It may be that you lay out the money, get the system wired into your DB, and then find that you have to leave it behind if you move out. 

I should be fine as I own the property, but thanks for informing me!

 

5 hours ago, PsyWulf said:

This is a perfect way of starting off,and Growatts are decent inverters without the extremely advanced extra features deye/sunsynk has

Get your Inverter,battery,cables and fuses and later if you move you can add panels onto a capable system

4 hours ago, Chris.P.Bacon said:

100%, i meant
24V 3kW Axpert + 2 x 12V Mecer 200Ah in series.  ( 4.8kW bank )

SO it appears that both Growatt and Axpert (what about lux power) are perfectly fine inverters for my use case. On Takealot, they come in at HALF the cost of Sunsynk and Deye 😬 Ouch!

When it comes to choosing batteries, is there anything that one must be on the lookout for? Which brands are "better" so to speak?
Also, is there a reliable resource that I could read up on the difference between 12v/24v/48v such that I can educate myself. I will google, but sometimes the torrent of info can be overwhelming and contradicting!

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11 hours ago, Tuntira972 said:

Also, is there a reliable resource that I could read up on the difference between 12v/24v/48v such that I can educate myself. I will google, but sometimes the torrent of info can be overwhelming and contradicting!

I think the main point is that 24v and more so 48v will give you more options for expansion going forward. Current, more than voltage, is the enemy, and Ohm's law tells us that to get the same power from half the voltage you must double the current. So your cables get thicker, and many internal components must be more substantial. I would expect that 12 or 24V systems are limited on output power because of this. 

If in the future you can install panels then the game changes. You're not just looking at surviving a load shed, but at making a real dent in your bill. And you can charge the batteries for free and, if you have a decent size battery and run the heavy loads when the sun is shining, you can likely get through the night without troubling Eskom. 

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