Stage Zero’s solar savings secrets

Solar and backup service provider Stage Zero recently gave MyBroadband a tour of its factory and research and design (R&D) facility in Cape Town.

Unlike many other solar rental companies on the market, Stage Zero manufactures its own all-in-one inverter and battery unit, which is made primarily of locally sourced components.

The company’s co-founder and CEO, Abraham van der Merwe, explained to MyBroadband that this was necessary for the most cost-effective but feasible operating model.

Van der Merwe and his team realised that a solar system provider that focused solely on backup would run into trouble if load-shedding ended or was reduced significantly, as has been the case over the past year.

However, offering well-priced solutions for a wide range of customers was a tall order when only using off-the-shelf third party inverters and batteries.

Van der Merwe explained that when Stage Zero started out, the retail cost of a kWh of lithium battery storage was about $400 to $700. However, a kWh of battery cells only cost about $100.

The company determined it could reduce much of the additional margin added through the assembly of the battery module by combining the cells with other required components in a factory in Parow, Cape Town.

“It was all done for the purpose of making a solution cheap enough that a consumer could realise savings immediately,” Van der Merwe said.

“By assembling the battery, where a lot of the margin actually sits, there is still a lot of innovation that you can do, including in battery management systems and the kind of packaging you use.”

To further simplify the installation and ensure its partner electricians can install as many systems as possible over a shorter period, increasing their income and efficiency, Stage Zero’s system features an all-in-one design.

“We came up with a product that almost looks like a Tesla Powerwall but with even more built-in,” Van der Merwe said.

“It includes the battery that we assemble ourselves, as well as the inverter, switchgear, and the solar charge controller.”

Stage Zero’s factory and R&D facility assembles almost all of the company’s system from scratch, with the only third-party component being the solar panels.

Battery cells also have to be imported from China, as South Africa has no cell manufacturing capacity.

Plethora of sensors and remote management

Each Stage Zero system is also fitted with a GPS tracker so it can be located if stolen, in addition to various other sensors.

That includes an accelerometer to detect incidents like a quick drop or fall that may have caused damage.

In addition, the systems have built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows Stage Zero and its customers to monitor their systems’ performance.

The controller is NRS-compliant and can be remotely managed by Stage Zero for troubleshooting or when the customer is uncomfortable with changing settings themselves using the company’s dedicated mobile app.

Stage Zero assumes full responsibility for the system’s maintenance and approval with the relevant electricity distributor over its entire lifetime.

The system layout is also done by a registered engineer (PrEng) who must sign off on the electrician’s completed installation. That must be compliant with South Africa’s grid code and SABS standards.

Effectively, Stage Zero becomes the customer’s own private power supplier, selling cheaper electricity from its own equipment fitted at the customer’s property.

Stage Zero’s systems start at R799 per month without backup and R1,099 with backup.

MyBroadband’s analysis has shown that using these systems in conjunction with the grid can reduce electricity bills for households with 500kWh or more monthly consumption.

Below are photos from Stage Zero’s offices and factory in Parow, Cape Town.