How to spot a solar scam
South Africans in the market for solar and backup energy products can follow a few important steps to minimise the chances of buying an underperforming, dangerous, or non-existent system.
The frequency and high intensity of load-shedding in the past few months have left many more households looking for affordable backup power systems.
Posts complaining about the load-shedding situation on community Facebook groups are often filled with comments from opportunists selling solutions at prices that appear to be bargains.
In some instances, customers are initially impressed with the system’s performance.
However, many lament their decision after components begin failing or don’t perform as expected.
For the most unfortunate victims, the seller has either disappeared or simply refuses to replace the equipment.
Buying the wrong system for the job may not only be a costly mistake, but also a dangerous one.
Incorrectly-installed systems and electrical wiring can cause deadly electrification or devastating fires.
MyBroadband asked two reputable companies with established track records of building high-quality solar installations how consumers can avoid buying inferior products or getting conned out of their money.
Research and understand how solar power systems work
AWPower director Christiaan Hattingh and Solar Advice marketing manager Sam Berrow emphasised the importance of doing proper research on solar power before approaching a potential installer or seller.
Many households in the market for these systems might be complete newcomers to the technology.
Buying a solar system without at least some insight into its basic functioning would be like blindly purchasing a car without first looking at its specification sheet.
“Arming yourself with as much knowledge as possible about the products you buy will help weed out the companies trying to sell you an inferior product,” Berrow said.
“If you do your homework and speak to your [potential] solar installer, you can get a good idea if they know what they are talking about,” Hattingh said.
AWPower and Solar Advice offer detailed guides on their website explaining how solar power works and what system types might suit your particular scenario.
A chapter on choosing the size of your solar array from one of Solar Advice’s online guides.
Get references and read reviews
However, Hattingh acknowledged that some consumers wouldn’t necessarily be interested in becoming as knowledgeable about a product as a company that specialises in selling and installing them.
For that reason, he argues the best way to ensure that a solar energy company is legitimate and professional is to use references from current or previous customers.
Berrow agreed with this approach, saying word-of-mouth was a great way to find top-notch companies.
“Ask neighbours, friends, and family members who have had a solar system installed for recommendations,” Berrow said.
Berrow also recommended consumers perform a Google search and check reviews of the companies they are considering on platforms like Hellopeter.
However, users should spend some time reading through these reviews to get a comprehensive view of the issues customers raised.
“Don’t be too put off by bad reviews; read them and see if the company has responded and rectified the complaint,” Berrow stated.
Another stop should be the numerous online solar-related forums where consumers give honest opinions on solar products and companies, Berrow said.
The MyBroadband Forum is one of many places where consumers will find brutally-honest insights from users with hands-on experience.
A thumbs-up or OK from a trusted family member, friend, or colleague can go some way to helping you identify reputable solar companies.
Iron out the legalities
Trustworthy and professional solar installers will also possess qualifications and follow applicable legal processes to the letter.
To start with, Berrow said consumers should ensure the company is registered, has a VAT number, and has been in business for a while,
Secondly, an installer should be a registered Installation Electrician with the Department of Labour and The Electrical Conformance Board of South Africa.
“You can check on the Electrical Conformance Board of South Africa’s website to ensure your installer is registered,” said Berrow.
In addition, Berrow explained the installer must have a wireman’s licence to sign off on Certificates of Compliance, which serve as proof that an installation was conducted with the necessary technical care and is safe.
Finally, Hattingh said that certain local government authorities — such as the City of Cape Town — might require that installers use approved equipment and register systems on a database.
“If you get your system registered with your local municipality, it means you have gone through all the hoops and have outside checks done by the relevant council to make sure that the system is compliant,” Hattingh said.
Uncompleted example of the Certificate of Compliance for an electrical installation.
Buy cheap, buy twice
Berrow also warned that consumers should rather spend a little extra money to ensure they bought the right products and services for the job.
“‘You get what you pay for’ is very accurate in the solar industry,” Berrow said.
“You do not want to have to spend more money in the near future to replace equipment.”
One surefire way to waste money in the current load-shedding situation is to cheap out on batteries.
While lead-acid and gel batteries cost much less than lithium-ion, their lifecycles are simply insufficient for handling the high levels of load-shedding the country is experiencing.
Even “deep cycle” lead-acid and gel batteries must not be discharged more than 50% of their advertised capacity. Otherwise, they will likely get damaged and lose some of their maximum capacity.
However, even when well cared for, these types of batteries only offer around 200 charge-and-discharge cycles.
On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries can provide several thousand cycles and be discharged up to 80% or more without impacting their total lifespan.
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