Solar inverter brands to ensure the best potential return on investment for home solar systems

Daniel Puchert

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Best solar inverter brands in South Africa

There are several high-quality inverter brands that South African households can buy to ensure their home solar power system delivers the best potential return on investment.

The inverter is the most technically complex part of the solar power system setup and effectively acts as the brain of the operation.
 
I’ve got a SunSynk system … it’s super-boring without loadshedding. Got it installed literally just as loadshedding ended, what were the odds of that. It’s still been helpful through a couple small power outages, but still waiting for the return of loadshedding to really test it.
 
I’ve got a SunSynk system … it’s super-boring without loadshedding. Got it installed literally just as loadshedding ended, what were the odds of that. It’s still been helpful through a couple small power outages, but still waiting for the return of loadshedding to really test it.
I run SunSynk system 99,9% of the time as an "off-grid" installation. So my system is permanently being "tested" :giggle:
 
I’ve got a SunSynk system … it’s super-boring without loadshedding. Got it installed literally just as loadshedding ended, what were the odds of that. It’s still been helpful through a couple small power outages, but still waiting for the return of loadshedding to really test it.
There are two different problems to solve for when installing a solar inverter system.

1. Loadshedding and faults
2. Reducing your monthly Eskom bill

Depending on how your system is set up and how much you spend, you can achieve both but if you have a wife and kids you'll agree that solving for Problem 1. Loadshedding and faults is the highest priority. My system is small, so I only have a single 5kWh battery which I've programmed my inverter to keep at 100% charge.

Now that we don't have loadshedding my focus has shifted more towards Problem 2. Reducing my Eskom bill. I've got 12x 545watt panels and this has reduced my Eskom usage by roughly 50%. I'm thinking if I get a 2nd battery, I can start cycling into the batteries at night to reduce my Eskom bill even further.
 
There are two different problems to solve for when installing a solar inverter system.

1. Loadshedding and faults
2. Reducing your monthly Eskom bill

Depending on how your system is set up and how much you spend, you can achieve both but if you have a wife and kids you'll agree that solving for Problem 1. Loadshedding and faults is the highest priority. My system is small, so I only have a single 5kWh battery which I've programmed my inverter to keep at 100% charge.

Now that we don't have loadshedding my focus has shifted more towards Problem 2. Reducing my Eskom bill. I've got 12x 545watt panels and this has reduced my Eskom usage by roughly 50%. I'm thinking if I get a 2nd battery, I can start cycling into the batteries at night to reduce my Eskom bill even further.
I have done this, letting my 5kw battery go to 35% every night.
 
There are two different problems to solve for when installing a solar inverter system.

1. Loadshedding and faults
2. Reducing your monthly Eskom bill

Depending on how your system is set up and how much you spend, you can achieve both but if you have a wife and kids you'll agree that solving for Problem 1. Loadshedding and faults is the highest priority. My system is small, so I only have a single 5kWh battery which I've programmed my inverter to keep at 100% charge.

Now that we don't have loadshedding my focus has shifted more towards Problem 2. Reducing my Eskom bill. I've got 12x 545watt panels and this has reduced my Eskom usage by roughly 50%. I'm thinking if I get a 2nd battery, I can start cycling into the batteries at night to reduce my Eskom bill even further.

You should still cycle your battery, even if you have a single, 5kWh one. LFP batteries do not like being maintained at 100%, it's bad for their health and longevity.
 
Now that we don't have loadshedding my focus has shifted more towards Problem 2. Reducing my Eskom bill. I've got 12x 545watt panels and this has reduced my Eskom usage by roughly 50%. I'm thinking if I get a 2nd battery, I can start cycling into the batteries at night to reduce my Eskom bill even further.

Yup.
12 Panels is a lot for that battery, I'm assuming your batteries are full already very early in the day.
(nice having 12 though with this crappy weather)

This is my soc schedule
Works pretty well so far (will change it again if loadshedding becomes a thing).
Allows the battery to stay in low charge most of the day so maximum energy goes to geyser and appliances,.
Then give it a 60% bump from the grid if needed before sunset so I don't sit in the dark before bedtime if something goes wrong.

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What's super useful is integrating it with home assistant so you can easily enable or disable the schedule.

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Did I make a mistake by buying a Victron inverter? They had been in the country quite a while, and my municipality had their brand on the recommended list. It was well recommended to me when I bought it and I like the open source design so I could easily integrate it with my Home Assistant server and home automation.
 
There are two different problems to solve for when installing a solar inverter system.

1. Loadshedding and faults
2. Reducing your monthly Eskom bill

Depending on how your system is set up and how much you spend, you can achieve both but if you have a wife and kids you'll agree that solving for Problem 1. Loadshedding and faults is the highest priority. My system is small, so I only have a single 5kWh battery which I've programmed my inverter to keep at 100% charge.

Now that we don't have loadshedding my focus has shifted more towards Problem 2. Reducing my Eskom bill. I've got 12x 545watt panels and this has reduced my Eskom usage by roughly 50%. I'm thinking if I get a 2nd battery, I can start cycling into the batteries at night to reduce my Eskom bill even further.

But why? :unsure:
 
Did I make a mistake by buying a Victron inverter? They had been in the country quite a while, and my municipality had their brand on the recommended list. It was well recommended to me when I bought it and I like the open source design so I could easily integrate it with my Home Assistant server and home automation.
They do list Victron at the very end of the article. The main advantage is the modularity... you want to add new panels, add another MPPT. Something stops functioning? Just replace that one part. Victron is also more robust than some of the other brands I've seen installed at some of our friends' houses...

Also keep in mind that Victron has been in the marine business for a while...
 
I’ve got a SunSynk system … it’s super-boring without loadshedding. Got it installed literally just as loadshedding ended, what were the odds of that. It’s still been helpful through a couple small power outages, but still waiting for the return of loadshedding to really test it.
You can always loadshed yourself, Just cut the power at the meter or before the DB. You really need to make it work for you, Loadshedding or not.
 
There are two different problems to solve for when installing a solar inverter system.

1. Loadshedding and faults
2. Reducing your monthly Eskom bill

Depending on how your system is set up and how much you spend, you can achieve both but if you have a wife and kids you'll agree that solving for Problem 1. Loadshedding and faults is the highest priority. My system is small, so I only have a single 5kWh battery which I've programmed my inverter to keep at 100% charge.

Now that we don't have loadshedding my focus has shifted more towards Problem 2. Reducing my Eskom bill. I've got 12x 545watt panels and this has reduced my Eskom usage by roughly 50%. I'm thinking if I get a 2nd battery, I can start cycling into the batteries at night to reduce my Eskom bill even further.
Don't follow this guys example of keeping your battery at 100% all the time. Let it cycle.
 
You should still cycle your battery, even if you have a single, 5kWh one. LFP batteries do not like being maintained at 100%, it's bad for their health and longevity.
I'm aware, but since we only have a single battery, its better to keep ze wife with electricity than to run the risk of suddenly having an Eskom fault in the area and my battery sitting with 30% charge as the sun goes down.
 
You should still cycle your battery, even if you have a single, 5kWh one. LFP batteries do not like being maintained at 100%, it's bad for their health and longevity.
Some devices allow you to limit the battery charge to 80% to extend battery life, is that not offered here? Or is the battery tech immune to such a solution?
 
Did I make a mistake by buying a Victron inverter? They had been in the country quite a while, and my municipality had their brand on the recommended list. It was well recommended to me when I bought it and I like the open source design so I could easily integrate it with my Home Assistant server and home automation.
That's like asking if you made a mistake buying a rolls Royce.
 
Did I make a mistake by buying a Victron inverter? They had been in the country quite a while, and my municipality had their brand on the recommended list. It was well recommended to me when I bought it and I like the open source design so I could easily integrate it with my Home Assistant server and home automation.

Work great till you need to knock on the warranty door - i'm on my 2nd Victron invertor after the 1st one went bang & if this one does the same will be going SunSynk.
 
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