How I escaped load-shedding for R50,000

Like most South Africans, I got fed up with almost constant load-shedding and decided to invest in an inverter and battery installation to keep most of my household powered during Eskom’s rotational power cuts.

In all, the system was R49,968. It provides a peak output of 3kW and has 2.75kWh of battery storage. Solar Power sourced and installed the components.

As I live in a loft apartment with only one other person, our power needs aren’t excessive, and Solar Power recommended a 3kW hybrid inverter from Kodak. The photography company, which briefly dabbled in cryptocurrency, also makes power inverters.

Our requirements were to run most of our appliances and devices through bouts of load-shedding, including:

• Fridge and freezer
• Lights
• TV
• Router and ONT
• Xbox Series S console
• Laptop (charging) and monitor
• Phone chargers
• Three fans

While choosing a small inverter does limit what we can run during load-shedding, such as being unable to use the oven, stove, microwave, washing machine, or tumble dryer, it saved us some money.

3kW hybrid inverter from Kodak

We can run our air fryer with a maximum power draw of 1,500W, provided we limit electricity usage elsewhere in the house while it is running.

A 5kW hybrid inverter from Kodak costs around R12,000, and other prominent brands can run up prices of over R20,000. Our 3kW Kodak inverter came in at R8,900, excluding installation.

The priciest component of the backup system was the Hubble AM-4 lithium-ion battery at R19,900. The 25v 110aH battery provides 2.75kWh of energy storage when allowed to discharge fully.

For reference, a battery’s watt-hour (Wh) capacity can be calculated by multiplying voltage by the amp-hour rating. However, it is important to consider a depth of discharge (DoD) that won’t damage the battery.

We have set our system to cut out if the battery capacity drops below 50%.

At 100% DoD: 25V * 110aH = 2,750 Wh or 2.75kWh

At 50% DoD: (25V * 110aH) * 50% = 1,375Wh or 1.375kWh

While setting the DoD at 50% halves the effective energy storage capacity of the battery, it extends the unit’s life, meaning it won’t have to be replaced as often.

According to the Hubble AM-4’s specifications, we should get more than 6,000 charging cycles out of the battery at 50% DoD.

We installed the system over two weeks ago, and the battery’s charge hasn’t dropped below 75%, even during four-hour load-shedding sessions.

Hubble AM-4 lithium-ion battery

Other costs included R7,986 for the DB board setup, R4,278 for components needed to install the inverter, R476 for earth spike and wiring, and R453 for labour. The installation took approximately two hours to complete.

Included in the quote was R1,458 for the Certificate of Compliance.

Our experience so far

The system has performed exactly as intended since it was installed over two weeks ago.

It will be interesting to see how long the system will last at 50% DoD during extended outages.

The switchover from mains to battery power — and vice versa — is seamless. All of the connected appliances remain on during the switchover with no interruption.

Besides the inverter’s fan noise, which can be pretty loud, it only produces a slight click when it switches between mains and battery power.

It should be noted that it would be possible for us to add solar panels to the installation. However, our body corporate’s rules prevent us from doing so.

A breakdown of the inverter and battery installation costs is provided in the table below, followed by an image of the inverter and battery’s specifications.

3kW Kodak hybrid inverter specs (left). Hubble AM-4 lithium-ion battery specs (right).

Now read: South African insurance companies add exclusion for total Eskom grid collapse

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