Is this fine to start my grid tied adventure? Going for 5000watt one it cost R10500. Want to connect everything expect the geyser. Want to use same inverter when I go off the grid.
A system is divided into 2 sections: Peak power and Sustained power.
Peak power is the most a device will be using at any one time. Your 1000w microwave may average out at 1000w, but may spike to 3000w for a few seconds or more. As much as your geyser may be using. A washing machine uses different amounts of power depending on where in it's cycle it is. heating, spinning, soaking, ...... The importance of peak power is to determine what size inverter you need and what you want to put onto the inverter.
Sustained power is the amount of power you will be using during the day. This determines the size of array you will need (if you are going off grid) and the size of the battery you will be using. It is all good and well having a 5kw array that supplies everything during the day, when everyone is at work and not using power. At night you are bathing, watching TV, the lights are on, and every device in the house is online. The stove is cooking dinner and you are doing the washing so that you can hang it on the line in the morning before going to work.
It is very important to measure power consumption, both peak and sustained, before buying the system and deciding on what will be run by the system if you will retain a grid tied system. And if you are going off grid, it would be better to have a split system so that you are not at the mercy of loosing power completely if one component fails.
Example you have a 3kva system running essential devices in the house (lights and plugs) and a second 5kva system running laundry, kitchen, heaters / AC and, possible, geyser. Should the 3kva system fail you can switch over to the 5kva system. If the 5kva system fails you can switch over to the 3kva system, but you would have to be careful of what runs at the same time.
