oros
Expert Member
What is the best solution for countering loadshedding? Or is there other generators besides the petrol ones, one can buy that's affordable?
-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
Loadshedding solutions...
- Thread starter oros
- Start date
-
- Tags
- generators
oros
Expert Member
Thanks and what about sunpanels? Expensive?
oros
Expert Member
O, ok. Thanks. One can get these mentioned items most places or specific places?
TheMightyQuin
Not amused...
If you type keywords like "inverter", "batteries" etc...basically all the words you used in your OP, into the search bar, you will find the literally hundreds of threads on this forum, that have already been started, re. this topic.
Unfortunately you need to do a bit of work before you buy anything off the shelf.
How much power will you need? 1000w? 2000w? do you want to hook your entire house on it or just a single light?
Will you do the wiring?
Once you know how much power you need, you will need batteries accordingly ... and maybe solar panels to ofset the costs.
Prices vary greatly depending on your needs, https://www.takealot.com/all?qsearch=inverter
And also how often you think you will need it, (will Eskom get worse, same or better?).
How much power will you need? 1000w? 2000w? do you want to hook your entire house on it or just a single light?
Will you do the wiring?
Once you know how much power you need, you will need batteries accordingly ... and maybe solar panels to ofset the costs.
Prices vary greatly depending on your needs, https://www.takealot.com/all?qsearch=inverter
And also how often you think you will need it, (will Eskom get worse, same or better?).
oros
Expert Member
Thanks. I didn't think about that. Currently I'm just looking for what is available. And to plan accordingly when I have my own place. One can't be too careful with eskom nowadays.... So I'm planning ahead.
Geoff.D
Honorary Master
If you are not trying to deal with LS right now and planning for the future, my suggestions are:
1. Read up as much as you can about alternative power sources.
2. Look at the power forum for plenty of technical advice.
3. Plan to make your home energy efficient, with roof insulation, double glazing Sealed doors etc.
4. Go solar water heating. This removes out of the equation one of the largest power users in your home. Even if you choose a system with electric heating as a backup, the main heating of water is removed out of any backup power system. Also, any attempt by Eskom and municipalities to fiddle with your geysers with fancy geyser control systems is removed.
5. Next would be to look at gas for cooking. That is the next largest power user in the home.
5. Make sure all new appliances you buy are energy-efficient and comply with the new regulations in this regard.
6. Then determine what your back up power needs are likely to be. I will post a link to a summary I did recently in another thread.
1. Read up as much as you can about alternative power sources.
2. Look at the power forum for plenty of technical advice.
3. Plan to make your home energy efficient, with roof insulation, double glazing Sealed doors etc.
4. Go solar water heating. This removes out of the equation one of the largest power users in your home. Even if you choose a system with electric heating as a backup, the main heating of water is removed out of any backup power system. Also, any attempt by Eskom and municipalities to fiddle with your geysers with fancy geyser control systems is removed.
5. Next would be to look at gas for cooking. That is the next largest power user in the home.
5. Make sure all new appliances you buy are energy-efficient and comply with the new regulations in this regard.
6. Then determine what your back up power needs are likely to be. I will post a link to a summary I did recently in another thread.
Last edited:
Grouter
Executive Member
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2007
- Messages
- 5,981
- Reaction score
- 3,837
When our electricity bill hit +/- R1500pm, we changed to gas for hot water and cooking. That was back in April of 2019. Now we buy R500 of electricity pm, always having about 50Kwh left at the end of the month (by way of building up a reserve), and a 19kg gas bottle (@ R450) every 6 weeks.
So in effect we have almost halved our energy bill. So the little Mecer 2400 Inverter we have is plenty to give us pc's, media centre, internet and lights for power cuts. It's a neat solution which suits us well.
So in effect we have almost halved our energy bill. So the little Mecer 2400 Inverter we have is plenty to give us pc's, media centre, internet and lights for power cuts. It's a neat solution which suits us well.
oros
Expert Member
Thanks. I appreciate it. I will keep it mind. Says alot.
I've just spoken to a plumber who runs a business with his electrician brother. He reckons solar geysers are the biggest scam ever.
Really? How so?
The way I see it, if the water is hot and it does not use electricity then it must be working.
How else could it not do that and call itself solar?
My in-laws have a solar geyser, and apart from changing their showering habits a little, they seem fairly happy with it.
Well, according to him, you constantly using power to run a small pump that pushes water from geyser to panel. At night, the element has to work harder to maintain warm water. And because it's outside, it is exposed to the weather and element has to work harder to maintain warm water. In essence he is saying element has a much harder life as it is constantly switching on and off.
And then in winter you are going to have cloudy days etc. So he reckons a normal geyser is just as electricity efficient overall as a solar geyser.
Except a solar geyser apparently costs a lot more?
So he calls it the worlds biggest scam
Gallderhen
Well-Known Member
Well, according to him, you constantly using power to run a small pump that pushes water from geyser to panel. At night, the element has to work harder to maintain warm water. And because it's outside, it is exposed to the weather and element has to work harder to maintain warm water. In essence he is saying element has a much harder life as it is constantly switching on and off.
And then in winter you are going to have cloudy days etc. So he reckons a normal geyser is just as electricity efficient overall as a solar geyser.
Except a solar geyser apparently costs a lot more?
So he calls it the worlds biggest scam
The pump on my solar geyser (geyser inside the roof btw) is given electricity by a small solar panel on the roof, so even during load-shedding on a sunny day, Im making hot water.
My wife showers twice a day, and the element only kicks in a little bit in the morning during summer. At night the geyser is about 60-70C so hot enough for us both. In winter the elements gets used once perhaps twice a day to get the water up to 55C
Thus far we're saving about 1/3 our electricity bill, so I recon in 5 years from installation the geyser would have paid for itself.
-G-
Ok cool. At least you admit to having a pump. And a solar panel to supply it.
If I may ask, what did you spend on this set-up?
EDIT: Sorry - got confused with this and the other thread.
Gallderhen
Well-Known Member
Paid about R20k for a 200L new installation as the old geyser broke and insurance paid a large part of the cost (when I told them I wanted to install a solar geyser rather).
-G-
I would love to know what insurance you have then. All my experiences thus far is that insurance pays the bare minimum to replace geysers.
Geoff.D
Honorary Master
The above interchange about Solar Geysers raises a whole lot of issues.
1. The plumber and electrician quoted are the epitome of why I have so little respect for both those professions. They sit with pieces of paper that "authorises" them to legally undertake the work they do but they know squat about how to install anything properly. Very few of them bother to first understand what they are installing and most refuse to read manuals. Afterall, why bother, we know how to install geysers and connect up the elements.
2. There is NO standard way to install Solar Geyser systems. Every type of Solar Geyser has its own installation requirements. Not all types are suitable for installation everywhere in SA --- you have to pick the correct type suited to the climate in which the installation is going to work. There are big issues IF you do not bother to establish if the system is a high-pressure or a low-pressure system as well. - Something plumbers completely ignore until it is time to draw hot water from the system.
3. The orientation of the Solar Panel on the roof is absolutely critical. If you for some reason do not have the flexibility to set the panels correctly, then you might have to choose a different system, or change the installation accordingly - another thing a plumber just does not even to bother to consider before they do anything.
4. Systems that circulate water through a solar geyser and a panel where the geyser is in the roof require a pump to do this. The better solar systems make use of a separate solar panel to provide power for that pump. The way in which the pipes are installed is critical to ensure proper water circulation, which may require non-return valves in some instances. The pumps that circulate that water can also be powered by a normal electrical feed - In that case, you are not completely independent of electrical power, which makes those installations not suitable IF the goal was an independent source of hot water. The pumps draw very little power either way IF the system is installed properly taking into account where the geyser is located w.r.t. the location of the solar panel/s.
5. The normal electrical element should only ever be there to supplement hot water when the sun does not shine for extended periods.
6. The setting up of the system needs fine-tuning to suit the needs of the users. And, users must change their usage patterns in some instances as has already been indicated. Power savings are guaranteed. The amount of power you save, is a variable depending on the amount of hot water drawn.
So @ splinter, go back to that plumber and his brother and establish what experience they have with what solar systems, and let them provide details of how they installed the so-called scam systems so that we can tear their workmanship and knowledge into tiny little pieces.
and btw, there is nothing for anyone has to admit to. Not all solar systems have circulation pumps. If the system installed does, then that is a critical part of the installation. The way you made that comment implies or tries to imply that the person responding to your posts was lying or deliberately hiding a fact.
1. The plumber and electrician quoted are the epitome of why I have so little respect for both those professions. They sit with pieces of paper that "authorises" them to legally undertake the work they do but they know squat about how to install anything properly. Very few of them bother to first understand what they are installing and most refuse to read manuals. Afterall, why bother, we know how to install geysers and connect up the elements.
2. There is NO standard way to install Solar Geyser systems. Every type of Solar Geyser has its own installation requirements. Not all types are suitable for installation everywhere in SA --- you have to pick the correct type suited to the climate in which the installation is going to work. There are big issues IF you do not bother to establish if the system is a high-pressure or a low-pressure system as well. - Something plumbers completely ignore until it is time to draw hot water from the system.
3. The orientation of the Solar Panel on the roof is absolutely critical. If you for some reason do not have the flexibility to set the panels correctly, then you might have to choose a different system, or change the installation accordingly - another thing a plumber just does not even to bother to consider before they do anything.
4. Systems that circulate water through a solar geyser and a panel where the geyser is in the roof require a pump to do this. The better solar systems make use of a separate solar panel to provide power for that pump. The way in which the pipes are installed is critical to ensure proper water circulation, which may require non-return valves in some instances. The pumps that circulate that water can also be powered by a normal electrical feed - In that case, you are not completely independent of electrical power, which makes those installations not suitable IF the goal was an independent source of hot water. The pumps draw very little power either way IF the system is installed properly taking into account where the geyser is located w.r.t. the location of the solar panel/s.
5. The normal electrical element should only ever be there to supplement hot water when the sun does not shine for extended periods.
6. The setting up of the system needs fine-tuning to suit the needs of the users. And, users must change their usage patterns in some instances as has already been indicated. Power savings are guaranteed. The amount of power you save, is a variable depending on the amount of hot water drawn.
So @ splinter, go back to that plumber and his brother and establish what experience they have with what solar systems, and let them provide details of how they installed the so-called scam systems so that we can tear their workmanship and knowledge into tiny little pieces.
and btw, there is nothing for anyone has to admit to. Not all solar systems have circulation pumps. If the system installed does, then that is a critical part of the installation. The way you made that comment implies or tries to imply that the person responding to your posts was lying or deliberately hiding a fact.
Last edited:
Gallderhen
Well-Known Member
Getting back to the OPs question, I got me a 2400VA Mecer inverter and am in the process of getting 2x200ah batteries. Should keep my cctv cameras, a lights or 2 and the tv going through loadshedding.
I also have a 6kw petrol generator, but will only use it if we go to stage 6 or 8.
-G-
I also have a 6kw petrol generator, but will only use it if we go to stage 6 or 8.
-G-