Bunta's Solar Story

Feb 2024 Performance
Total Yield 370.5 kWh
Total Eskom Usage 115kWh (about 4kWh per day) This is usually about 2kWh base load between 2am and 7am and Geyser topup in the AM before Solar is in full swing. I recon a 2nd battery will help big time with this...
Total Usage 385.5kWh
Feb 2024 Stats.jpg
 
So I received my Permission to install letter from Coct on 18 December 2023 which means we had until 18 March 2024 to get the completed docs back to COCT.
COC was done in Jan.
The Engineer came out on Wednesday and did his inspection. He advised that there were two new/additional requirements from COCT:
1) Surge arrestors on the DC Solar Side;
2) Double Pole Battery Isolator
The Installers guys came out yesterday to fit these (Surge Arrestors R385, Isolator R860, Labour R450) and once they were done, the Engineer reviewed and issued the report.
I submitted COC, Contract, Report, Diagram etc to COCT and now I wait.
 
Feb 2024:
Solar Production = 370,5kWh
Imported from Grid = 115kWh
Consumption = 440.7kWh

Feb 2024 Stats.jpg

March 2024 :
Solar Production = 406,5kWh
Imported from Grid = 152,4kWh
Consumption = 514,5kWh

March 2024 Prod Summary.jpg
 
April 2024 stats.
Still havent had the additional 4 panels installed.
But i'm worried that the COCT might reject my SSEG application if I install those panels now.
The application was submitted with the current 10 Panels and the extra panels were bought AFTEr the application was sent in.
Will give it another few weeks then follo up again with COCT.
April 2024 Prod Summary.jpg
 
Nice. COCT keep on putting hurdles down. Most recent was also DOL changing who can issue the COC to a minimum qualification of Installation Electrician. My installer had to send out another electrician, would be the third, to reissue my COC. They are carrying the cost, not me.

One year on and I'm still waiting for final SSEG approval.
 
Tantric Smurf said:
Nice. COCT keep on putting hurdles down. Most recent was also DOL changing who can issue the COC to a minimum qualification of Installation Electrician. My installer had to send out another electrician, would be the third, to reissue my COC. They are carrying the cost, not me.

One year on and I'm still waiting for final SSEG approval.
Click to expand...
Yissus!
 
So last week we woke up with the house's power out.
Made no sense because there was no scheduled Load Shedding...
Battery appeared to be dead, and Inverter was off.
Tried restarting the battery and everything went on for a minute, then died again. (had the Inverter set to On grid Discharge 30% and off grid Discharge 20%.

Turns out the supply phase from the City was again dead. Call logged, still waiting for City's guys.

Got my installer out who swopped out phases for me (we have 3 phase supply to the house).
One phase runs to the Inverter, one to the Oven and the third was for the geyser, but the geyser is on the Inverter now, so that phase is kinda a "spare"
But, in the mean time, the battery was at 20% of course and would need a full recharge. As it was 7h30 and sun really only comes out at 8ish, I let the battery charge from A/C. Had some BMS drift. It only charged to 95% that day and would not go further. Luxpower suggested I get Hubble out to check it. But I waited to see how it performed the next day.
We discharged to 30% that evening (Day 1), then it charged to 96% the next day (day 2)(from Solar).
By Day 3, it charged all the way to 100%, remained there for 20 minutes, then dropped to 99% (as it usually does).
Since then all seems good. Seems to be some sort of safety feature on these hubbles.

On the Bright side, finally got my Commissioning Approval letter from the City, the day after the phase died LOL!
 
City's guys finally came out to fix the dead phase. Apparently a rusted breaker on the pole outside was the cause.
They sorted it, but now the other phase (that supplies the Oven is off). Seems they switched all phases off to replace the breaker, and forgot to switch the one back on.
Another call logged.
Anyways,
July and August have proven to be bad Solar gen months:

May to July 2024 Prod Summary.jpg
 
I'm want to start my solar journey.
We moving to a new house in limpopo up in the north were there is plenty of sun all year round.its household of 2 adults and one child,the house has a gas stove with electric oven, 200L electric geyser. Im eyeing a system similar to yours. The aim is not go off grid but to have electricity during "load reduction" periods and if possible reduce the electricity bill.I have been browsing mybb and powerforum to find out which option is the best for the geyser, to run it on solar(inverter) or to go for a solar geyser (tubes) ,I'm leaning more towards tubes for the days with extend power cuts or cloudy days
How are you running your geyser?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_7289.jpeg
    IMG_7289.jpeg
    175.2 KB · Views: 13
Lebseven said:
I'm want to start my solar journey.
We moving to a new house in limpopo up in the north were there is plenty of sun all year round.its household of 2 adults and one child,the house has a gas stove with electric oven, 200L electric geyser. Im eyeing a system similar to yours. The aim is not go off grid but to have electricity during "load reduction" periods and if possible reduce the electricity bill.I have been browsing mybb and powerforum to find out which option is the best for the geyser, to run it on solar(inverter) or to go for a solar geyser (tubes) ,I'm leaning more towards tubes for the days with extend power cuts or cloudy days
How are you running your geyser?
Click to expand...
Look @Snyper564 solar thread. He had solar geyser, but said in hindsight he would have opted for more panels upfront.
 
Lebseven said:
I'm want to start my solar journey.
We moving to a new house in limpopo up in the north were there is plenty of sun all year round.its household of 2 adults and one child,the house has a gas stove with electric oven, 200L electric geyser. Im eyeing a system similar to yours. The aim is not go off grid but to have electricity during "load reduction" periods and if possible reduce the electricity bill.I have been browsing mybb and powerforum to find out which option is the best for the geyser, to run it on solar(inverter) or to go for a solar geyser (tubes) ,I'm leaning more towards tubes for the days with extend power cuts or cloudy days
How are you running your geyser?
Click to expand...
My geyser runs off my system. Rather spend the money on more panels, then the whole house benefits.

Limpopo isn't that rainy, and even if it was, it doesn't make sense to plan your system for maybe 10% of the year...
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
My geyser runs off my system. Rather spend the money on more panels, then the whole house benefits.

Limpopo isn't that rainy, and even if it was, it doesn't make sense to plan your system for maybe 10% of the year...
Click to expand...
What's against the tubes is the cost. I will spend +-R20k on the geyser and tubes plus R26k on the inverter package. On the other side I spend only on the inverter package and and add more panels and run it on the inverter.
 
Lebseven said:
I'm want to start my solar journey.
We moving to a new house in limpopo up in the north were there is plenty of sun all year round.its household of 2 adults and one child,the house has a gas stove with electric oven, 200L electric geyser. Im eyeing a system similar to yours. The aim is not go off grid but to have electricity during "load reduction" periods and if possible reduce the electricity bill.I have been browsing mybb and powerforum to find out which option is the best for the geyser, to run it on solar(inverter) or to go for a solar geyser (tubes) ,I'm leaning more towards tubes for the days with extend power cuts or cloudy days
How are you running your geyser?
Click to expand...
Not sure if i mentioned it earlier in this thread. But about 2 or 3 months after I fitted solar panels, our geyser burst. Insurance replaced it, and i got them to agree to let me have the plumber retro fit a 2kw element (instead of the std 4kw element).
The 2kw element works great because i have a 5kw inverter, so even if the geyser is on, i still have 3kw of power that can be drawn (from the inverter for the rest of the house)
The cost to retrofit the 2kw element on a std 200l geyser would be under R1000. But the benefit was/is huge in that the only time i use Eskom power now, is to top up the geyser temps in the early hours of the morning. Maybe an hour in winter (5am to 6am).
Granted, the geyser takes 2 hours to warm up from completely cold with the 2kw element, vs 1 hour on a 4kw element.
But, in my situation, it made no financial sense to spend 20k plus on a solar geyser, where i could just swop the element.
I also have the geyser on a CBI astute, so i set the timer and leave it. I only change the timers when seasons change. So summer/ winter times.

Edit, i didnt open your attachment, R26k for that while system is a steal.
Take it and add another 5 x 455w panels and get a 2kw geyser element installed.
Even if you do the extra panels later. Those panels are about R1300 now, so for about R6500 for an additional 5 panels and you're sorted.
Im very happy with my system:
1 x 5kw Luxpower LXP
1x 5kw Hubble am5
10 x 455w canadian panels.
By electricity bill is literally R1000 per month in winter and R400 in summer, thats for 2 x adults and 2 x kids (17 and 20) so technically 4 adults.
If anything another battery (or 2) is my next investment.
Long term, probably a 10kw inverter (8kw would be sufficient) but with the prices where they are now, i would rather overspec.
 
Last edited:
Lebseven said:
On the other side I spend only on the inverter package and and add more panels and run it on the inverter.
Click to expand...
Short answer, THIS.
Just change the geyser element to a 2kw as well, so you have sufficient spare capacity for the rest of the house. Not a train smash if you dont though.
 
+1 for adding extra panels. I would also suggest a smart isolator so you can set timers and switch it on manually should you need to.
 
Lebseven said:
@Snyper564 Can i please have a link your thread I tried searching I can't find it.
Click to expand...
Snyper564

Thread 'Snyper's Solar Farm'

Hi all,

I am finally getting round to making this thread.

After loads of research and another bout of load shedding I finally decided to pull the trigger and load shed Eskom.

Prior to going solar I already had all the lights on LEDs, house is kitted with energy efficient appliances and geysers are on evac tubes.

Oven and induction stove will not be changed at present - current system doesnt need this and I dont plan on going totally off the grid an odd kw here or there is ok for me.

Before deciding what system I needed I first started with my daily kW usage and peak kW.

I found that...
  • Like
  • Love
  • Wow
 
Been a minute since my last update, but thought this is quite important.

So just at the Start of Ramadan, our 25 year old Defy fridge/freezer decided to stop freezing food. The Fridge was working fine, but freezer seemed to die a slow death. Got a techy in, he regassed it, then changed one or two things, but it didnt work.
We then bought a new Fridge Freezer.
Usually our battery lasts till about midnight. But since the new Fridge/ Freezer is in, battery lasts till about 2h30 am.
It's quieter, more efficient and definitely uses much less electricity.

Typical day with the old fridge/freezer:
Old fridge power usage.jpg

Yesterday (new Fridge Freezer) :

New fridge power usage.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X