Backup still worth the effort?

[CJGodspeed]

So, with reduced loadshedding over the past couple of weeks, how are people feeling who just installed full systems? Especially those in Cape Town?

I am halfway there (have inverter and need battery) but just can't seem to shake the idea that selling the inverter and saving R45k is a better idea currently.

I know we have no idea what the future holds but I would be super disappointed to spend the money and then loadshedding is severely reduced.

P.S I am not oblivious to the fact that the 2024 elections are around the corner...

 

[Lupus]

So, with reduced loadshedding over the past couple of weeks, how are people feeling who just installed full systems? Especially those in Cape Town?

I am halfway there (have inverter and need battery) but just can't seem to shake the idea that selling the inverter and saving R45k is a better idea currently.

I know we have no idea what the future holds but I would be super disappointed to spend the money and then loadshedding is severely reduced.

P.S I am not oblivious to the fact that the 2024 elections are around the corner...

This is just a lull for now, load shedding isn't going away any time soon.

 

[Harmonic]

I'm feeling pretty good. Uninstalled the ESP app a while ago and haven't thought about loadshedding much since then.

The ANC is bound to fsck something up probably sooner than later

 

[pinball wizard]

So, with reduced loadshedding over the past couple of weeks, how are people feeling who just installed full systems? Especially those in Cape Town?

I am halfway there (have inverter and need battery) but just can't seem to shake the idea that selling the inverter and saving R45k is a better idea currently.

I know we have no idea what the future holds but I would be super disappointed to spend the money and then loadshedding is severely reduced.

P.S I am not oblivious to the fact that the 2024 elections are around the corner...

I have family in Zim. Should I tell you how this story ends?

 

[ToxicBunny]

Personally, Loadshedding is probably not going anywhere anytime soon, but regardless of that being somewhat self-sufficient from a power delivery point of view is never a bad thing really. Even if they fix the grid and we never have load shedding ever again, you can control your own costs better with your own power delivery system (even if it only covers the necessities in the house)

You have the inverter already, I would just put some money in the bank and wait till you can get a battery or two and then eventually throw in a solar array to go with it.

 

[itareanlnotani]

So, with reduced loadshedding over the past couple of weeks, how are people feeling who just installed full systems? Especially those in Cape Town?

I am halfway there (have inverter and need battery) but just can't seem to shake the idea that selling the inverter and saving R45k is a better idea currently.

I know we have no idea what the future holds but I would be super disappointed to spend the money and then loadshedding is severely reduced.

P.S I am not oblivious to the fact that the 2024 elections are around the corner...

What are you worrying about?


PV is cheaper than retail electricity, so you're saving money medium - long term.
Heck, PV+batteries is also cheaper than retail, so its really a no brainer.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

So, with reduced loadshedding over the past couple of weeks, how are people feeling who just installed full systems? Especially those in Cape Town?

I am halfway there (have inverter and need battery) but just can't seem to shake the idea that selling the inverter and saving R45k is a better idea currently.

I know we have no idea what the future holds but I would be super disappointed to spend the money and then loadshedding is severely reduced.

P.S I am not oblivious to the fact that the 2024 elections are around the corner...

You just bought inverter ? What purpose does it serve without battery at the moment ?

 

[Grieta Thanburg]

What are you worrying about?


PV is cheaper than retail electricity, so you're saving money medium - long term.
Heck, PV+batteries is also cheaper than retail, so its really a no brainer.

As long as you don't finance it like most people.

 

[CJGodspeed]

You just bought inverter ? What purpose does it serve without battery at the moment ?

It looks fancy in the house . I bought the inverter and was planning to buy the battery a day after but then the one I wanted was out of stock. Then all of a sudden we had reduced loadshedding...

 

[Lupus]

As long as you don't finance it like most people.

This, I mean I bought mine cash for 105k last year, in that year I've only saved about 12k, this is with me tapping into Eskom every once in awhile, was off Eskom from Saturday night until this morning, but had to tap in cause the kettle was turned on at 8am and sun wasn't sufficient, but it will switch back soon.

 

[ToxicBunny]

This, I mean I bought mine cash for 105k last year, in that year I've only saved about 12k, this is with me tapping into Eskom every once in awhile, was off Eskom from Saturday night until this morning, but had to tap in cause the kettle was turned on at 8am and sun wasn't sufficient, but it will switch back soon.

Even if you finance it, within 2 years it should be cheaper than Eskoms power..

 

[pinball wizard]

This, I mean I bought mine cash for 105k last year, in that year I've only saved about 12k, this is with me tapping into Eskom every once in awhile, was off Eskom from Saturday night until this morning, but had to tap in cause the kettle was turned on at 8am and sun wasn't sufficient, but it will switch back soon.

So are you saying that with maintenance/breakages/etc, you wont even be whole again after 10 years? What's your predicted roi break even then? 20 years? 25 years? Do the panels and batteries last much more than ten years anyway?

 

[Lupus]

Even if you finance it, within 2 years it should be cheaper than Eskoms power..

Really depends on usage I guess, if you're over 2000pm then sure, if you're 1500pm probably not. Though with the 14 to 18% increases coming.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Really depends on usage I guess, if you're over 2000pm then sure, if you're 1500pm probably not. Though with the 14 to 18% increases coming.

If Electricity was to stay stable at its current price, its borderline.. but the increases are what is going to push it over the edge.

 

[Lupus]

So are you saying that with maintenance/breakages/etc, you wont even be whole again after 10 years? What's your predicted roi break even then? 20 years? 25 years? Do the panels and batteries last much more than ten years anyway?

I'm not looking at ROI, stopped looking at that around October last year . Batteries will probably be around 10 years down to 80% capacity, so could stretch it a bit more, panels are 15 to 20 years, at 12k in the last year alone, probably ROI would be 10 years. If I don't go and change the system.

 

[Anthro]

Do not suffer fatigue, push forward to your initial plan of getting some form of backup in place + 20% more
If there's something you can count on, it is the cANCer ability to **** up infrastructure.
The increases are also coming, and will likely not subside at 18% so be aware of that

 

[Nerfherder]

So, with reduced loadshedding over the past couple of weeks, how are people feeling who just installed full systems? Especially those in Cape Town?

I am halfway there (have inverter and need battery) but just can't seem to shake the idea that selling the inverter and saving R45k is a better idea currently.

I know we have no idea what the future holds but I would be super disappointed to spend the money and then loadshedding is severely reduced.

P.S I am not oblivious to the fact that the 2024 elections are around the corner...

I think we are just in a "holiday" period where the maintenance is done, so that is why LS is not really happening at the moment.
There will be more but at the same time I think that spending money on battery backups is going to be a waste.

If you want to go solar then that is a different story, its probably a good time to watch the prices go down as people hold back on new installs.
If they manage to hold off LS till after the election then that will be around the time the first private suppliers come online, so will ease the pressure anyway.

I don't see any urgent reason to spend a lot of money on batteries right now.

 

[Grieta Thanburg]

I think we are just in a "holiday" period where the maintenance is done, so that is why LS is not really happening at the moment.
There will be more but at the same time I think that spending money on battery backups is going to be a waste.

If you want to go solar then that is a different story, its probably a good time to watch the prices go down as people hold back on new installs.
If they manage to hold off LS till after the election then that will be around the time the first private suppliers come online, so will ease the pressure anyway.

I don't see any urgent reason to spend a lot of money on batteries right now.

Private suppliers will charge premium. It'll ease pressure, but you're going to pay for it in price hikes.

 

[Nerfherder]

It looks fancy in the house . I bought the inverter and was planning to buy the battery a day after but then the one I wanted was out of stock. Then all of a sudden we had reduced loadshedding...

Just spend that money on PV then ?

Can just get a mix of solar and Eskom and the system will pay for its self.

If the LS gets hectic then get a battery.

 

[soulie]

Just spend that money on PV then ?

Can just get a mix of solar and Eskom and the system will pay for its self.

If the LS gets hectic then get a battery.

exactly what i do ,workshop lights run off solar all day or a mix of eskom ,been like that for years now ,zero issues ,saves plenty of eskom units probably more than half .