Backup still worth the effort?

would still do it -loadshedding may become a thing of the past... but cable theft and general Eskom practices, when it comes to maintenance, repair...is still, well .......takes you out of the reliance column...
 
surface said:
Countless times? Really? What is your actual setup and how much did it cost you back then in 2014 and what is your average yearly consumption ?

p.s. I am sure solar investment is worth it if one has the money but I really doubt if it will recover countless times in 10 years. Probably break-even in 10 years.
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I meant what I wrote, especially about the quality of life stuff. Sadly I will not be doing an audit on my installation and living expenses over 9 years for you, so you can nitpick further over semantics.
 
Carvin said:
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...
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Ultimately, I think it's a good idea to have solar for energy independence, and hopefully once the meters come down in cost you can start feeding back into the grid to earn a bit of cash back.

But if I was in your shoes, go for inverter and battery with the option to expand later. But that really depends on how deep your pockets are.
 
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zolly said:
I am contributing towards a solar installation on my brother's property, where I currently pay rent and live. He said this morning he was wondering if he made the right call with load shedding being less of an issue than it was.

Now I was pretty infuriated by this to say the least.

I have been saying since 2021, we at least need to get an inverter and battery backup with the option to go solar later. I was told repeatedly it was not worth it for him from a financial standpoint and that I must sort myself out. As a result, I have bought about 40k worth of backup hardware to keep my PCs and our shared internet running.

We then experienced multiple occurrences of stage 6 over the last couple of years, and not a word.

Suddenly about 6-8 weeks ago my brother said we were getting solar. Cool I thought. He's finally making some sense, but regardless I have my own backups so no skin off my nose either way.

The first guy comes in and does an assessment, and then my brother drops the bomb on me that he needs me to pay towards the installation. I was now furious. I had literally been told to "fend for myself", oh but now he needs my money.

I had made peace with this whole situation, basically going "this is a lump sum towards my family rates rent that I paid for years".

Then this morning he says to me he wonders if he's made the right decision. And this is after he paid the deposit and I withdrew a fat chunk of cash to contribute towards this! I told him "if it was me I would have gone for a staged installation" but he is absolutely UNWILLING to accept that it may have been the better choice to go for an inverter and battery installation, and then wait and see how the rest of the power situation turns out. He exaggerated the costs (the total cost for our install is basically 140k but he said it would be 100k for inverter and battery vs the actual price of 80k for the same thing minus solar panels and additional installation costs, so 60k less) to prove his point and I was simply too early for me to bother arguing with him anymore.

Ultimately, I think it's a good idea to have solar for energy independence, and hopefully once the meters come down in cost you can start feeding back into the grid to earn a bit of cash back. But we're not rich and the fact that I had to take out money from my savings to help pay for something that he is now having doubts about pisses me off no end.

If I was in your shoes, go for inverter and battery with the option to expand later. But that really depends on how deep your pockets are.
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I would have told my brother to go fly a kite. I'm alright Jack, pull up the ladder.
 
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wingnut771 said:
I would have told my brother to go fly a kite. I'm alright Jack, pull up the ladder.
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My family laid in on the issue and basically leant towards his side because I used to get a good deal on rent.

These days I am paying just a bit less than market rates.

I'm basically paying for my freedom so people can't come to me later and give me grief.
 
zolly said:
My family laid in on the issue and basically leant towards his side because I used to get a good deal on rent.

These days I am paying just a bit less than market rates.

I'm basically paying for my freedom so people can't come to me later and give me grief.
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Tell your family to tell your brother to pay half of the R40k you already spent. Then you can pay half of the house install and have redundancy.
 
zolly said:
My family laid in on the issue and basically leant towards his side because I used to get a good deal on rent.

These days I am paying just a bit less than market rates.

I'm basically paying for my freedom so people can't come to me later and give me grief.
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Yea family is always a prickly thing

You may be paying slightly less than market rate, but he also has a tenant that doesn't give the normal gripes , the dynamics of family is sometimes ****ed up for some sides only the cons count and the other only the pros

In the end you pay more than you receive sometimes

From your response i take that you know this and maar pay the price, you gotta let that water run like it does of a ducks back, if you want to still have a decent relationship

i would suggest incorporating your system or parts of it to save costs , ie make your battery part of the new system

Or they can ad solar to your system

Try not to take it to personal , it is what it is
 
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Unfortunately the phrase of blood is thicker than water is the biggest load of tripe

People like to make it out as if they are helping you, only to find that help equals a debt that can't ever be erased ie you can pay back the monetary debt, but the "help" sees you in debt into perpetuity

ie you have to bite this bullet because he helped you, and next time the next time and the next time

Imo it is like the race card you can only swipe it so many times they do wear out , and when it does you are the bad guy for declining that card
 
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Carvin said:
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...
Click to expand...

So, a friend of mine asked me this in the middle of 2019. He had similar mindset to you. Of course I told him yes he needs to get it sorted.

So yeah, it’s still worth the effort for sure.
 
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