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Solar Solutions for South African Homes

As the world shifts towards renewable energy, solar power systems have become an increasingly popular choice for homeowners looking to save money on their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. In South Africa, cost saving is not the primary driver of purchases of solar systems. South Africans are often motivated by the failure of Eskom to provide sufficient electrical power. Rolling blackouts caused by insufficient generation capacity, colloquially known as “load shedding” are a primary reason that many South African homeowners are looking at implementing solar power to provide grid back-up and ensure continuity of supply.

The inconvenience caused by continuing intermittent grid outages has been slowly worsening in South Africa for over fourteen years, and no end to the problem looks to be in sight. While some solar solutions can be a great solution for homeowners to counter power outages and maintain electrical supply in their homes during grid outages, not all solar systems are suited to the residential power back-up environment.

 

What Solar Solutions are Available?

There are two primary types of solar solutions available to the homeowner, namely grid-tied and battery hybrid systems.

Grid-tied solar systems are designed to generate electricity during the day when the sun is shining. The solar panels on the roof of the home convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity, which is then converted into alternating current (AC) electricity by an inverter. This AC electricity is then used to power the home’s electrical appliances and devices, reducing the amount of electricity the home needs to purchase from the utility.

A grid-tied solar power system is connected to the electrical grid, which means that any excess electricity that is generated by the system can be sent back into the grid where the grid provider allows this to happen. In some areas, excess electricity may be sent back to the utility, creating a credit on the homeowner’s account. This process is known as net metering. Unfortunately, during a power outage, a grid-tied solar solution will not provide power to the home unless it is coupled to a battery backup solar solution. In fact, grid-tied inverters are designed to switch off when a grid outage occurs for safety reasons. Without some form of battery storage, solar systems cannot provide power once the sun sets.

Battery hybrid solar solutions are like grid-tied systems, with the addition of battery storage. This means that any excess electricity that is generated by the system can be stored in batteries instead of being sent back into the grid. During sunlight hours, any excess electricity generated and not used by the home can be stored in the batteries. When the sun goes down or during a power outage, the electricity stored in the batteries can be used to power the home’s electrical appliances. Battery hybrid solar solutions can provide the home with power when the grid goes down, at night, or during periods of bad weather.

 

Differences Between Solar Solutions for Homeowners

Battery hybrid solar solutions are typically more expensive than grid-tied systems because they are slightly more complex and have the battery component, which adds significantly to the total cost of the systems. Batteries have finite lifespans and will eventually need to be replaced, which must also be calculated into the total cost of owning a battery hybrid solar solution.

Battery hybrid solar solutions can provide power to the home during a power outage, while a grid-tied system will not provide power even if the sun is shining.

Battery hybrid solar solutions may require more maintenance than a grid-tied system, typically because the batteries in the system will eventually need to be replaced.

The main difference between a grid-tied solar solution and a battery hybrid is that the latter can store excess electricity in batteries for use later, while the former does not. It is obvious that the South African homeowner needs a battery hybrid solution to cope with load shedding and frequent technical outages.

 

Choosing the Right Solution

The first step in choosing the best solar solution for your home is to determine your power needs. You will need to calculate the amount of power that your home typically uses per day, after which the electrical power needed to sustain your household for a set period can be calculated. This will depend on the number of appliances and electronic devices that you use in your home, the number of people in your household, and the duration for which appliances typically run. Once you have determined your power needs, you can decide how long you would like to be able to power the appliances you need when the grid fails. This is referred to as battery autonomy.

The most popular solar solutions for residential homes are battery hybrid solar solutions. These systems are designed to provide power to your home during normal operation and also during power outages. During normal operation, the solar panels will generate electricity that is used to power your home. During a power outage, the system will automatically switch to stored battery power, which will provide power to your home for a period that is determined by how many devices (load) are used for what time period and how much energy the battery is capable of storing.

The advantage of hybrid solar solutions, with battery backup, is that you can generate your own power and reduce your dependence on the grid and power your home during load shedding or other grid outages. This means that you will save money on your energy bills and always have power. Typically, the limiting factor of how much autonomy you provide is a financial one. The larger the battery required, the more the system will cost.

 

Solar Solutions with Batteries are the Pinnacle of Convenience

One of the advantages of battery hybrid solar solutions is that they are designed to work seamlessly with your home’s electrical system. These systems can be automated to a high degree, switching between grid and battery power quickly and smoothly with no power interruption. You can generate your own power and store excess energy for use during power outages.

In addition to selecting the right solar solution for your home, it is also critical to ensure that your system is properly installed and maintained. Not only must your system work properly, but it must also be safe. Electricity is dangerous, and electrical systems must only be installed by trained, knowledgeable, and experienced personnel.

 

Choose Wisely When Having Solar Solutions Installed

With a legacy of exceptional service and technical excellence, we at PacB stand as a pioneering force in Southern Africa’s power-generation industry. Our expertise spans a wide range of energy generation sources, including renewable energy systems. You can count on our experienced engineers and technicians to create premium, tailored solar solutions for your home.

By choosing PacB, you can avoid the financial and operational risks of not getting it right the first time. Our peerless reputation attests to our proficiency in developing cutting-edge, integrated hybrid battery solar solutions. We’re equipped to install and maintain all types of renewable energy or hybrid solar solutions. Explore our website today and contact us to engage with an industry leader in the field of backup energy systems.