Hey all

I hope you are doing well

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but I have been doing some shopping around the Pretoria area for quotes to do a solar installation at my home. It is really hard to tell what is a fair price given the divergence between the raw parts prices you find online, and what you get quoted. 

We are currently looking for an 8 kw Sunsynk inverter, 10 Kwh in Sunsynk batteries and 6-8 550w panels.

Does anyone know what a reasonable all in price for that would be at current market rates?

Thank you.

Having done a similar system not to long ago I reckon 170-180ZAR

5 hours ago, SilverMane said:

Hey all

I hope you are doing well

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, but I have been doing some shopping around the Pretoria area for quotes to do a solar installation at my home. It is really hard to tell what is a fair price given the divergence between the raw parts prices you find online, and what you get quoted. 

We are currently looking for an 8 kw Sunsynk inverter, 10 Kwh in Sunsynk batteries and 6-8 550w panels.

Does anyone know what a reasonable all in price for that would be at current market rates?

Thank you.

@THE POWER GURU PTY LTD

1 hour ago, AndrewJdc said:

Having done a similar system not to long ago I reckon 170-180ZAR

This...

We got the following:

• 10  x 545 Watt JA solar panels
• 8kW Sunsynk inverter
• 2 x 5.32kWh Sunsynk batteries
• Installation

The cost was R190 000. I could have gotten it cheaper (as low as R160 000), but with cheaper batteries/inverter, and from suppliers that I couldn't find anything about. There were also quotes for R210 000+ for a similar system. 

Use someone reliable

 

Try @Steve87 and  @Leshen  on the forum.

 

R190k to R230k is probably the ballpark, depending on who you go with, If you want to use a company that allows you to finance it then the price is on the higher side unfortunately.

 

If you go for a different inverter and batteries one could bring the price down, 2x Luxpower SNA5000 inverters and perhaps 2x Svolt 106AH batteries would cost around R64k without installation vs around R110k for 8KW Sunsynk and 2x 100AH Sunsynk batteries

Edited July 20, 20232 yr by PsyCLown
Typo

1 hour ago, abd7 said:

Use someone reliable

 

Try @Steve87 and  @Leshen  on the forum.

 

Thanks

I was wondering about how to determine if someone is reliable. Would you place any stock in if someone is a Sunsynk's approved/master installers? 

If this comment/scenario is correct, I'd be cautious to use comparative prices for a full installation that any of us did even two months ago. Rather try to find itemised quotes that show the labour costs to benchmark against, if such exist, or try to get quotes that show panels prices that are clearly based on the going rate today. Just heard that panel prices are down 25-30% or something like that. In general the installers that post on this site have a good reputation.

21 minutes ago, GreenFields said:

If this comment/scenario is correct, I'd be cautious to use comparative prices for a full installation that any of us did even two months ago. Rather try to find itemised quotes that show the labour costs to benchmark against, if such exist, or try to get quotes that show panels prices that are clearly based on the going rate today. Just heard that panel prices are down 25-30% or something like that. In general the installers that post on this site have a good reputation.

Yip supplier prices have come down drastically over the last 2 weeks, so get fresh quotes AND YES make sure it is itemised so that you know exactly what markups you are paying, some unscrupulous installers are still quoting high prices.

51 minutes ago, SilverMane said:

Thanks

I was wondering about how to determine if someone is reliable. Would you place any stock in if someone is a Sunsynk's approved/master installers? 

https://www.sunsynk.org/approvedinstallers

 

So I have experience with some so called master installers still cutting corners and delivering service with a so called CoC, but the reality in fact was far from that. 

 

But both these guys I recommended above are on that approved list, reliable, active on the forum and good comms 

Leshen - master installer 

http://lumensolar.co.za/

 

Steve 87

Loadfed.co.za 

Edited July 20, 20232 yr by abd7

Solarfinity did ours for us, the are a master installer.

https://www.solarfinity.co.za/

I think R150k-R160k would be more reasonable now since price drops.

Inverter, batteries and 8 panels are around R125k here on PFS and shopping around could potentially save more.

Components and installation should be around R25k-R35k depending on installer and your specific requirements.

On 2023/07/21 at 6:38 PM, solazzz said:

I think R150k-R160k would be more reasonable now since price drops.

Inverter, batteries and 8 panels are around R125k here on PFS and shopping around could potentially save more.

Components and installation should be around R25k-R35k depending on installer and your specific requirements.

There have been even further drops and it would be possible to get away with R130k-R140k from what I've seen.

Are any reputable installers willing to accept work if you buy the inverter/battery/panels? I’ve been sourcing quotes recently and I’ve seen many installers add their own markup on equipment and are unwilling to take on the work if they don’t supply everything. This increases the overall cost. 

27 minutes ago, milespeters said:

Are any reputable installers willing to accept work if you buy the inverter/battery/panels? I’ve been sourcing quotes recently and I’ve seen many installers add their own markup on equipment and are unwilling to take on the work if they don’t supply everything. This increases the overall cost. 

If the installers are buying retail and then adding a markup then they are simply not reputable installers.

Reputable installers should have trade/supplier/installer accounts so once they add their markups they should come in about the same as retail ( some even below retail ) on their parts list.
If they are coming in above retail then find a new installer to quote you

My Opinion

Edited July 30, 20232 yr by WannabeSolarSparky

On 2023/07/20 at 8:35 AM, onlyonekenobie said:

We got the following:

• 10  x 545 Watt JA solar panels
• 8kW Sunsynk inverter
• 2 x 5.32kWh Sunsynk batteries
• Installation

The cost was R190 000. I could have gotten it cheaper (as low as R160 000), but with cheaper batteries/inverter, and from suppliers that I couldn't find anything about. There were also quotes for R210 000+ for a similar system. 

I just got a quote for new panels and inverter, similar spec to yours. I retain the existing battery, which is only a year old.

Factoring in the cost of that battery (Freedom Won LiTE, not famous for being the cheapest battery on the market), I'd have been in the 180 to 190k ballpark for a whole new system. This includes surge protection and the COC. OK... my DB is already split, so that saved a bit.

So your 190K doesn't seem that bad. 210K... maybe if they're using premium components.

Edited August 4, 20232 yr by Bobster.

2 hours ago, milespeters said:

Are any reputable installers willing to accept work if you buy the inverter/battery/panels? I’ve been sourcing quotes recently and I’ve seen many installers add their own markup on equipment and are unwilling to take on the work if they don’t supply everything. This increases the overall cost. 

I think that's fair. The installation requires more than panels, inverter and batteries. It all adds up. And if the guy is going to give support and give a warranty then he has to use gear that he knows, that he has confidence in, and where he has a good relationship with the manufacturer or franchisee. 

Looking at a quote I just got for some improvements, the installer gave me a fair price on the inverter and panels. Bottom end of what you can get if you shop around. But he can't be making all his profit on installation fees, so he must still be making something on the hardware but is still keeping the prices reasonable.

On 2023/07/30 at 6:58 AM, solazzz said:

There have been even further drops and it would be possible to get away with R130k-R140k from what I've seen.

Even further price drops, especially on panels. Can even do R125k if you shop around for the major components, and installation quotes.

 

Not Sunsynk though, as OP mentioned Sunsynk specifically. But Deye + Shoto/Dyness/Volta.

Edited August 4, 20232 yr by solazzz

I run the following and my cost was Just under R160k installed with overspecced wiring and a 30 Page COC

1 x LuxPower 5.1 Kv inverter

2 x Dyness 5 KvH battries

10 x Canadian Solar 545w panels

I have been off the grid with this system for just over a month. 
 

System was installed and supplied by DigitFMS

On 2023/07/20 at 9:30 AM, abd7 said:

Use someone reliable

 

Try @Steve87 and  @Leshen  on the forum.

 

Hi, any similar suggestions for Cape Town?

https://jcsolarpanels.co.za/shop/solar-power-kits/hybrid-solar-kits/8kw-sunsynk-volta-stage-3-solar-kit/

https://jcsolarpanels.co.za/shop/solar-power-kits/hybrid-solar-kits/8kw-sunsynk-10kwh-solar-kit/

Found these 2 useful indications with 16 panels. 

Anything from the kits and how does the volta batteries compare?

On 2023/08/13 at 11:44 AM, Haggers said:

https://jcsolarpanels.co.za/shop/solar-power-kits/hybrid-solar-kits/8kw-sunsynk-volta-stage-3-solar-kit/

https://jcsolarpanels.co.za/shop/solar-power-kits/hybrid-solar-kits/8kw-sunsynk-10kwh-solar-kit/

Found these 2 useful indications with 16 panels. 

Anything from the kits and how does the volta batteries compare?

Personally, would just compare pricing on the main components (inverter, batteries, panels) and have the installer bring the rest plus labour.

Or have installer bring everything but be close in price to what is readily available. There is the worry-free factor when installer is also the supplier. But the price needs to be reasonable.

8 hours ago, solazzz said:

Personally, would just compare pricing on the main components (inverter, batteries, panels) and have the installer bring the rest plus labour.

Or have installer bring everything but be close in price to what is readily available. There is the worry-free factor when installer is also the supplier. But the price needs to be reasonable.

Thanks, totally agree. Just received a quote that is more ballpark.  8kw SS, 2 x Bsl powerline 5kw, 14 trina 425w panels, R165k incl COC and SSEG. Master installer on sunsynk website. Busy doing reference checking but anything i should be looking out for?

Sounds good