Solar installers and suppliers

duderoo said:
any other recent applications for SSEG for CPT and it taking 13 months?
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Mine took just over a year to arrive as well. I had to rope in a contact at the City who started making noises. I reckon it would still be in their sausage machine if not for this intervention

After the above arrived, it took another 3 months of me harassing them to come install the split pre-payment meter. Only after this is when your application is considered complete

Godspeed
 
hilt_ctn said:
Mine took just over a year to arrive as well. I had to rope in a contact at the City who started making noises. I reckon it would still be in their sausage machine if not for this intervention

After the above arrived, it took another 3 months of me harassing them to come install the split pre-payment meter. Only after this is when your application is considered complete

Godspeed
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What's crazy is you are supposed to not use the system, so pay for it and you cannot use it for a year and lost ROI there
 
duderoo said:
What's crazy is you are supposed to not use the system, so pay for it and you cannot use it for a year and lost ROI there
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I hear you. And that's still in all their docs. But in a somewhat underhanded admission of their red tape processing failure, there was this little gem that effectively did away with that
 
hilt_ctn said:
I hear you. And that's still in all their docs. But in a somewhat underhanded admission of their red tape processing failure, there was this little gem that effectively did away with that
Click to expand...
I missed that article, appreciate the post, puts my mind at rest
 
Got a quote to add another 8 panels to my system to reach the max on each string to help during the winter months.

Is this a good price? I want to add another Hubble AM-5 as well. So might add that as well.

Current system:
8KW Sunsynk
10 X Canadian Solar 550W
2 X Hubble AM-5s

1729920381732.png
 
Diabolix said:
Got a quote to add another 8 panels to my system to reach the max on each string to help during the winter months.

Is this a good price? I want to add another Hubble AM-5 as well. So might add that as well.

Current system:
8KW Sunsynk
10 X Canadian Solar 550W
2 X Hubble AM-5s

View attachment 1767762
Click to expand...

From a supplier the panel cost seems high. I added 4 to mine about July for 12000. And the panel price was just at the 2000mark then. I believe the prices have gone lower now.
 
If I drop the grid the panels don’t show that they cover the whole load and seem to draw from batteries even though there is sufficient sun to cover the load.

IMG_6790.jpeg

If I put the grid back on it works as expected and covers the whole load and not drawing from batteries?
IMG_6791.jpeg
 
Peps said:
What do you guys think of this quote?

It's a lot more than what I was expected, and it seems like it's because of that huge inverter. I consume between 600 (summer) & 900 units (winter) - solar geyser.
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Another installer came around & said it would turn my 3 phase supply into a one phase supply (doing something on the external box) so I can buy a 1 phase inverter which would be cheaper.

Is that legal? does it make sense? is it really something I should do...or 3 phase should go for 3 phase inverter?
 
Peps said:
Would anyone know more about my query above?
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Assuming you have three phase with 60amp per phase, why did the installer want to install such a huge inverter in the first place if he thinks you can get away with having a single phase feed? My inlaws have three phase at their house and run a 'small' 12kw three phase SunSynk inverter without any issues, they accept that some appliances are only being back fed when there is enough solar generation though.
 
Peps said:
Another installer came around & said it would turn my 3 phase supply into a one phase supply (doing something on the external box) so I can buy a 1 phase inverter which would be cheaper.

Is that legal? does it make sense? is it really something I should do...or 3 phase should go for 3 phase inverter?
Click to expand...
Yes, yes, yes (unless you have 3 phase devices), you should, it will lower your inverter costs. You basically need 3 inverters to do the job of one single phase as the 3 phase inverter will split its output across the phases, eg: 12kW 3 phase inverter can only do 4kW on one phase afaik.
 
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wingnut771 said:
Yes, yes, yes (unless you have 3 phase devices), you should ask it will lower your inverter costs. You basically need 3 inverters to do the job of one single phase as the 3 phase inverter will split its output across the phases, eg: 12kW 3 phase inverter can only do 4kW on one phase afaik.
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Max of 6kw per phase for the 12kW SunSynk three phase from what I remember speaking to my FIL. Having a three phase feed isn't necessarily just for three phase appliances, it is used for load balancing if you have a few high draw appliances. My inlaws have two electric geysers, an undercounter instant water heater, evaporative cooler, 5 aircon units, underfloor heating in all bedrooms and most bathrooms, etc.
 
Neuk_ said:
Max of 6kw per phase for the 12kW SunSynk three phase from what I remember speaking to my FIL. Having a three phase feed isn't necessarily just for three phase appliances, it is used for load balancing if you have a few high draw appliances. My inlaws have two electric geysers, an undercounter instant water heater, evaporative cooler, 5 aircon units, underfloor heating in all bedrooms and most bathrooms, etc.
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What if your drill press in the garage has a 3 phase motor? So 12kW sunsynk is 6 + 6 + 0?

Your inlaws will need 3 inverters.
 
wingnut771 said:
What if your drill press in the garage has a 3 phase motor? So 12kW sunsynk is 6 + 6 + 0?

Your inlaws will need 3 inverters.
Click to expand...

They have zero three phase appliances, hence not going for three separate 8kw inverters paralleled for instance. Someone may have that use case but they don't at home, their factory does though, so they have a 25kW (Or maybe it is 25kVa.) Solis three phase inverter with 32.4kWp PV panels and a similar sized diesel generator.
 
After the last big hail storm in JHB (last year), I had my panels inspected (I was worried that they suffered "hemorrhaging", even though visually they looked ok), for insurance purposes.

My installer mainly did circuit tests on the panels to see if the performance had deteriorated.

I was never really convinced by the method of testing, but yeah, I moved on with life.

Recently, a random company left a flyer on my gate with panel cleaning services and panel inspections.

The cleaning I do myself, but the inspection caught my attention.

Made me think, would thermal inspection be the correct way to assess panels after a hail storm for insurance purposes?

Random pic from the web below, I did not do any thermal testing on the panels:

1730469078487.png
 
The_MAC said:
After the last big hail storm in JHB (last year), I had my panels inspected (I was worried that they suffered "hemorrhaging", even though visually they looked ok), for insurance purposes.

My installer mainly did circuit tests on the panels to see if the performance had deteriorated.

I was never really convinced by the method of testing, but yeah, I moved on with life.

Recently, a random company left a flyer on my gate with panel cleaning services and panel inspections.

The cleaning I do myself, but the inspection caught my attention.

Made me think, would thermal inspection be the correct way to assess panels after a hail storm for insurance purposes?

Random pic from the web below, I did not do any thermal testing on the panels:

View attachment 1769711
Click to expand...

not sure what system you have or if you can do it, but I can check the wattage of each of my panels in real time...
but I have a very different system to most. Can your system not show you wattage generated per panel or is it just a total wattage?
 
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