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Tenants and Solar


Louw Lourens

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Gut feeling, if the solar industry is currently in a slump, and prices are low, would be to consider installing the inverter and solar panels anyway, but leave the batteries for later. If it is possible or sensible to export to the grid, then more so.

You don't know a year from now if Eskom gets its way with a 40% tariff increase, if there's not going to be a new demand spike and a hike in panel and inverter prices.

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7 hours ago, GreenFields said:

Gut feeling, if the solar industry is currently in a slump, and prices are low, would be to consider installing the inverter and solar panels anyway, but leave the batteries for later. If it is possible or sensible to export to the grid, then more so.

You don't know a year from now if Eskom gets its way with a 40% tariff increase, if there's not going to be a new demand spike and a hike in panel and inverter prices.

Thanks for the reply. It is precisely for these reasons that make it a difficult decision. The price of solar systems is to go up again. I see they recon at the latest June/July 2025.

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7 hours ago, zsde said:

Rather when you move in and can control and monitor it would be my suggestion.
It does give you time to get the best deals on the hardware in the meantime.
 

Thanks for the reply.

Jip, that is what I also thought to do, but price increases might change my mind. 

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On 2024/09/26 at 8:56 PM, Louw Lourens said:

Good evening .

I have a house that I am renting out. I plan to move to this house in a years time. I want to install a solar system in this house. Do I do it now or only when I move in? 

If you know what your power profile will be, I’d do it now while can get that small residential tax help and installers are hungry.     Also, council process could take months.

BUT since you are in theory conducting a business while renting it out, you might actually get the big 12B deduction (125% on total).   Scheme ends 28Feb

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Best is install now as I don't think solar going to get any cheaper and if Eskom gets there way solar will be in demand again so price increase .

Rent the system out to the tenant for  the price that they will be saving on electricity through the day , best put the money they would have given to the municipality in your packet and the tenant benefit if there's power failures  win win for both till you move in .  

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I would do it now or in the following couple of months even if you do not know how big the system must be if the correct inverter is installed then another of the same can be installed in parallel with the existing inverter or install one big inverter while the prices are good.

Shop around and if you are not sure about anything solar related ask, be on the lookout for prices which are a lot cheaper than the prices which are shown on known trustworthy online shops like The Powerforum Store. I know that The Powerforum Store can also point you to installers which they use to install solar systems and the installers would also be able to advise you on the size of the system once a site visit has been done.

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Thanks for your input This is something new to think about. 

There is one thing however in my search for a solar system that do boggles my mind and that is when i ask for quotes on the same equipment which is a 12kw Deye inverter, 3x 5.1kwh Dyeness batteries and 16 JA or Canadiann panels, installation and coc, I get quotes that differ by so much as R30000.

All these quotes do supply 10year warranties on the inverter and batteries and 25 year's on the pannels. 

Why is this?? 

Edited by Louw Lourens
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1 hour ago, Louw Lourens said:

Thanks for your input This is something new to think about. 

There is one thing however in my search for a solar system that do boggles my mind and that is when i ask for quotes on the same equipment which is a 12kw Deye inverter, 3x 5.1kwh Dyeness batteries and 16 JA or Canadiann panels, installation and coc, I get quotes that differ by so much as R30000.

All these quotes do supply 10year warranties on the inverter and batteries and 25 year's on the pannels. 

Why is this?? 

Many factors including market forces and installers experience and skill level. Even painting quotes tend to vary widely depending on who you ask. If all the quotes are well vetted just go for the cheapest. Supplier prices also vary widely I have seen the Deye 5kW priced anywhere from 14k to 20k.

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2 hours ago, Louw Lourens said:

Thanks for your input This is something new to think about. 

There is one thing however in my search for a solar system that do boggles my mind and that is when i ask for quotes on the same equipment which is a 12kw Deye inverter, 3x 5.1kwh Dyeness batteries and 16 JA or Canadiann panels, installation and coc, I get quotes that differ by so much as R30000.

All these quotes do supply 10year warranties on the inverter and batteries and 25 year's on the pannels. 

Why is this?? 

The warranties you mention come from the manufacturer, not the installer. They are what is advertised and there will be plenty of small print.

Installers are not all the same, and some quotes may not be worth the paper they're written on.

Some installers will come out, discuss your current usage, inspect the property to see where the best places are for the panels, take a look at the DB etc. Some will just give you a thumbsuck over the phone.

I don't know who did this, but I have seen some installs in my neck of the wood where south facing panels are installed (this is usually corrected after a couple of weeks). Some installers will do a diligent job when installing, including all the required isolators, fitting SPDs, some won't.

It's the same in many lines of business. You want a plumber? There's always one with a lower estimate, but maybe he's cutting some corners.

Try to see how long they've been around. If they were around before the lockdown and are still a going concern now that's a good sign - those guys will be around to support you. Check Hello Peter. Check if they have a website with photos of previous installations.

You might give us some idea of where you live. Many installers only operate in specific areas.

Some installers will recommend different brands of equipment, because they have a relationship with the distributors, and because they have learned the hard way about some brands or combinations of brands. 

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2 hours ago, Louw Lourens said:

Is there anybody out there that knows of an irreputable supplier that do not ask an arm and a leg for a solar system? 

I hope you are actually looking for a reputable supplier, there are too many irreputable one's and worse out there. 😉😀

irreputable

Irreputable generally refers to something or someone that lacks a good reputation or credibility. It implies that the person, organization, or thing has a negative or dubious standing in terms of trustworthiness, reliability, or integrity. An irreputable entity is typically seen as untrustworthy or disreputable due to a history of questionable behavior or actions.

Webster Dictionary

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4 hours ago, Louw Lourens said:

Is there anybody out there that knows of an irreputable supplier that do not ask an arm and a leg for a solar system? 

@Louw Lourens I am sure that you mean a reputable installer and not an irreputable installer.

Remember to differentiate between a solar equipment supplier and a solar installer, a solar equipment supplier is most of the time only an equipment supplier and some solar suppliers can refer you to a solar installer, a solar installer can most of the time supply and install solar equipment, I know that there are some up and coming solar installers which would advise a potential client to buy from a specific solar supplier which they have used in the past with a good reputation but that is very rare.

There are some reputable installers on the forum, but it would be easier to recommend an installer when they know where the installation must be done.

Your choice of inverter is good just make sure that the quotation specify if it is the Single Phase or Three Phase model, for the batteries I would rather look at Freedom Won or Greenrich and as for the solar panels either of those brands are good.

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On 2024/09/29 at 6:51 AM, Louw Lourens said:

Thanks for your input This is something new to think about. 

There is one thing however in my search for a solar system that do boggles my mind and that is when i ask for quotes on the same equipment which is a 12kw Deye inverter, 3x 5.1kwh Dyeness batteries and 16 JA or Canadiann panels, installation and coc, I get quotes that differ by so much as R30000.

All these quotes do supply 10year warranties on the inverter and batteries and 25 year's on the pannels. 

Why is this?? 

The guys that have their own teams sit with sunk labor cost.   So better to charge you R10k for labor next week even if normal would be R30k, because then at least cut sunk cost by R10k and help from product margin.

Other reason might be who bought at what prices, but an astute vendor would price based on the market and what can replace that inventory at.

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