1. Is Eskom charging people for Solar?
   You will have to register your solar system with Eskom/CoCT. This is called an SSEG Application and there is a fee involved.
2. How much does it cost to go Off Grid with Solar?
   This will all depend on the size of your house, amount of people in your house and how many/what appliances you will be running on the system. Anything from about R150 000+.
3. Which inverter is best for home use?
   There are many great options for inverters that can be used for home use. For most houses a high frequency hybrid inverter will be best. Transformer based inverters are also an option, but they are best used for commercial sites. We highly recommend the Sunsynk Highbrid inverters, and this is usually our go-to brand.
4. Which is better, Victron or Sunsynk?
   Sunsynk is the best when it comes to overall price and is much easier to use/install. Victron is an excellent system as well, especially for commercial use, but since it is transformer based it comes with extra cost and much more additional components need to be bought. The Sunsynk inverter already has all the needed components included to make it a fully functional inverter.
5. What is the lifespan of a Greenrich Battery?
   The warranty is 10 years/4500 Cycles. The life span of the battery will depend on how often and till what depth the batteries drain.
6. How many panels do I need?
   This depends on what your goals are in terms of solar. If you just need backup power, then you only need enough panels to charge your batteries. If you want to bring down your electricity consumption, then it will depend on how many units/kWh you use in a day and what time of the day your electricity is at the highest.
7. How many panels can an 8kW inverter handle?
   We install a maximum of 18 panels on an 8kW inverter. It might be more or less, depending on the brand of the inverter and the size of the panels.
8. Do I need a 5kW or 8 kW inverter?
   When you only want to run the essentials like your lights, some plugs, TV, wifi, etc, then the 5kW system will be sufficient. We call this the ‘heartbeat’ of the house and most of the time, this doesn’t include the kitchen.
   When you want to run your full house load (or as close as possible), then the 8kW is the way to go. This covers your entire kitchen as well as all plugs, lights, etc.
9. Which battery is best for a Sunsynk inverter?
   We prefer going with Greenrich batteries. Since the Sunsynk inverter is such a great inverter, it works well with most of the reputable battery brands.
10. How many batteries do I need?
    The rule of thumb is to always have your battery band at least match the size of your inverter. 5kW Inverter with a 5kWh battery or a 10kW inverter with a 10kWh battery bank. The amount you go above the minimum requirements is entirely based on what the batteries need to do to meet your needs.
11. What happens to excess Solar Power when batteries are full, and house is consuming little power?
    The panels will either throttle and stop producing or, if possible in your area, you could feed excess power back into the grid and receive some type of compensation.
12. What is self-consumption?
    Self-consumption is the use of electricity used by your system for your house. Maximum self-consumption would be using as much of your own electricity produced by your system and using as little Eskom/Council supply as possible.
13. How do I calculate self-consumption?
    You take the amount of electricity your system produces daily and subtract that from how much electricity you use per day. The lower that number you get is, the better your self-consumption is.
14. Does an inverter use extra electricity?
    Like any electrical appliance an inverter still needs electricity to start up. This is not a lot, and you will barely notice it, if at all.
15. What are essential and non-essential loads?
    Essential loads are the ‘heartbeat’ of your house. This usually includes lights, selected plugs, wifi, TV, etc. The bare essentials you need to keep your house functioning. Non-essential loads are higher wattage loads like your kitchen, oven, pool pumps, geysers, etc.
16. How do I know which Solar Panels to buy?
    Always make sure you buy Tier 1 panels from a trusted supplier. JA Solar and Canadian solar are our go to brands and are usually widely available.
17. Which inverter is better, Deye or Sunsynk?
    Deye and Sunsynk inverters are essentially the same when it comes to components. In our opinion, the Sunsynk Inverters just have more user friendly and efficient software installed.
18. Can I run my geyser, oven, and pool pump on a 5kW or 8kW inverter?
    hese are not an option on the 5kW inverter. On the 8kW inverter, running all three of these items is not recommended as it will overload the system. We usually connect the oven on 8kW systems. When working with hybrid inverters, your whole house will benefit from the solar power. After the essentials are covered and batteries are charged to the percentage they are set to, then the excess power will feed into the rest of your house load to use as little Eskom/Council power as possible.
19. Is it safe to have a system installed in a closed storage room?
    This is not recommended unless it is a very cool room and gets a lot of shade. Having some sort of cooling or ventilation is recommended to keep the system safe and performing at its best.
20. Will Solar Panels work on rainy days?
    Solar panels do work on rainy/overcast days, but they will not produce as much power and will possibly not reach the minimum voltage required to “activate” the panels.
21. Which direction is best for my Solar Panels?
    North, East, West, NE, NW. South is never an option.
22. Can panels face East & West?
    Yes, they can. Having one set of panels pointing West and one set pointing East will give you longer hours of production during the day since you are covered in both directions of the sun’s travel path.
23. Can panels be mounted on a flat roof?
    Panels can be mounted flat on a flat roof, but for optimal production we recommend installing the panels at a slight angle using the elevated mounting options.
24. How much does an SSEG application cost?
    When working with our engineer, you pay R4500 excluding vat.
25. What is an SSEG?
    An SSEG is the registering of your solar system with the CoCT/Eskom. This is only needed for systems that have solar panels.
26. Can I finance a Solar System?
    You can finance your systems through your preferred bank or other financing companies that offer this service. New-Tech Power also offers rent to own and pure rental systems.
27. Is my house right for solar?
    Roof orientation, shading, and available space are important factors to consider. With the technology we have at New Tech Power we can give you a fully satellite image of your home with a detailed image showcasing the Possible placement for your home.
    
28. How long does Solar panels last?
    Solar panels typically have a lifespan of 25-30 years, with many lasting longer. 
29. How do I calculate my monthly electricity usage?
    Calculation example: 500 kWh * R2.50/kWh = R1250.00.
    

Get in touch with New-Tech Power if you’d like to know more about installing your own solar system through outright purchase, rent to own or a pure rental service.
Email us on info@newtechpower.co.za or call us 021 556 1366.