Solar Lighting in a Sectional-title Complex

[srothman]

I was wondering if anyone has successfully gone the route of having solar-powered lighting installed in a sectional title unit?

When we initially did our solar-powered water heating, there was a huge row from the body corporate, but they eventually left us be.

I am now keen on exploring the possibility of replacing my unit's CFL lighting with LEDs and ideally utilizing solar power for this as well.

I was hoping someone could shed some light as to how they approached their complex body corporate about this, and what sort of design/solution they opted for.

 

[Ancalagon]

I'm also curious about this, but I really doubt I'd be allowed to install solar power.

 

[creeper]

I'm also curious about this, but I really doubt I'd be allowed to install solar power.

Body corporate normally decides on this. If need be, a meeting can be convened with the owners to further discuss. The only real reason for denying it is that it might not conform the aesthetics of the complex.

 

[srothman]

Body corporate normally decides on this. If need be, a meeting can be convened with the owners to further discuss. The only real reason for denying it is that it might not conform the aesthetics of the complex.

Exactly that. Our BC is extremely strict on this, but I think given the current state of affairs, I have no doubt they will more lenient when it comes to these kinds of things in the future. Otherwise they can supply me with a generator and fuel if they don't want me to put up an additional panel ;-)

 

[richjdavies]

Just to check... solar powered lighting, either is:
a: the sun -- e.g. opening curtains, or light poles
b: a solar pv, plus a battery, plus normally an LED (because they are pretty efficient).

I guess a half-way house, if you're trying to achieve "lights during load-shedding" is just to backup your lights. You can get built-in 'emergency lighting' ballasts that could probably give you 2-4 hours if you spec it right. Then you don't need the solar-PV. This doesn't need to be centralised into a big panel, it's just a battery that you can fit on each light. This would achieve what you want at a lower cost without objections...

I imagine they are objecting to the big panel, rather than the lights or the backup? So it's the generator you're buying that they object to, not the lights themselves.

 

[srothman]

Just to check... solar powered lighting, either is:
a: the sun -- e.g. opening curtains, or light poles
b: a solar pv, plus a battery, plus normally an LED (because they are pretty efficient).

B, but I did say that in my post

I imagine they are objecting to the big panel, rather than the lights or the backup? So it's the generator you're buying that they object to, not the lights themselves.

100% correct, it is more the idea of a panel on the roof, as well as tinkering with the electrics inside the house.

Ideally, I would like to use Eskom as "backup power" on the not so sunny days, i.e. I want solar to be the primary power source for these lights.

 

[Nerfherder]

Just to check... solar powered lighting, either is:
a: the sun -- e.g. opening curtains, or light poles
b: a solar pv, plus a battery, plus normally an LED (because they are pretty efficient).

I guess a half-way house, if you're trying to achieve "lights during load-shedding" is just to backup your lights. You can get built-in 'emergency lighting' ballasts that could probably give you 2-4 hours if you spec it right. Then you don't need the solar-PV. This doesn't need to be centralised into a big panel, it's just a battery that you can fit on each light. This would achieve what you want at a lower cost without objections...

I imagine they are objecting to the big panel, rather than the lights or the backup? So it's the generator you're buying that they object to, not the lights themselves.

The solar lights in my garden last most of the night.

They do get full sun all day though.

 

[Wietze]

There's an option available now where solar panels can be financed for a sectional title complex. There's no payment upfront and the panels are paid off over time by paying for the actual electricity that the panels generate. The kWh cost is lower than your existing cost.

If you want more info then please send me a private message (or comment here).

These are large installations and typically replace 30%-40% of the complex's use (including all residents and common area use). We need at least 45 residential units to make it viable.

 

[chrisc]

The chairman of the BC was totally negative about this, saying it was "science-fiction". I added it to the agenda at the AGM and he persuaded the meeting to discuss it at a future time. In the meantime I put together a quotation to implement it and sent it to the managing agent. It was calculated that for an investment of R14k it would take about 6 years to recover the cost and after that would cost less than R2k a year to maintain, which is only for replacement batteries