Not doing basic solar research

While solar is a topic many people discuss it is important to follow up by doing simple research into how solar works. Solar is a daunting subject as there is an overwhelming amount of information around the topic. A great place to start is how solar panels work as well as finding out how solar panels save you money. Understanding this may also give you more realistic expectations on how solar can improve your day to day life. Don’t be afraid to ask solar installers how the process works, as they understand solar is new to a lot of their clients.

Not outlining how much electricity you use

Understanding your baseline electricity usage is important when considering a solar system. This can help to give context to solar output estimates and how much it will reduce your daily grid consumption. Additionally this can help your household reduce wastage of power by outlining which habits use a lot of electricity, such as leaving lights on. Combining this knowledge will allow your household to not only limit power wastage but also have less reliance on the grid.

Not getting multiple quotes

As solar gains popularity, some installers are inevitably  going to try to sell systems for more due to a knowledge gap. Ensure that each quote is broken down in terms of cost per item and service to get an understanding of what is involved in the process of an installation and further maintenance. Going cheap to save money or expensive to ensure quality is not a guarantee. Cheap panels might not work effectively and expensive panels might be average quality with a high markup. Remember your household is unique in terms of power requirements and structure, ensure the quote is tailored to your needs.

Avoiding solar due to questionable claims made by installers

Every industry has people trying to make big claims in order to make an easy sale. While solar may be new to you, don’t listen to every pitch without doing research yourself. Those who have been sold false dreams may be advocates against solar, make sure that your expectations are realistic as solar can’t necessarily solve all your power issues. It is important to ask those within your reach how solar has impacted their household and take notes.

Buying solar panels and trying to install them yourself

While there is plenty of information on solar and home improvements, doing it yourself is probably not the way to go in this instance. Solar systems need to be designed by an engineer and connected to the household safely by a qualified electrician. Undertaking both the electrical and structural approach yourself could potentially put you in harm’s way. Even if you have the capability to do it yourself it may not yield the same results as professional installation.

Not knowing what size system is ideal for your situation

Many systems are actually too small for the households they are being installed on. While this may be a financial constraint it is often due to underestimating your households power usage. Try to install a system that meets your budget and avoid opting for the smaller system if you can. For those living in estates, gated communities and complexes it is important to find out what size your committee allows a household to install. It is important to also find out which of your roofs can sustain a considerable amount of weight for bigger systems.

Underestimating the future of your solar investment

While going for the less expensive option in the short term might be financially savvy, in the long term it might be a mistake. Solar panels can last over 20 years and this could mean a lot of maintenance for poor quality installations. While expensive isn’t always better it does help when the package includes safety nets such as monitoring and a maintenance service. Once the solar system has been paid off the savings can be spent elsewhere. Furthermore the system is now a part of the house which can be a great selling point when putting your house on the market.

Not having a consumption monitor

A consumption monitor is not a necessity, it is merely a tool that can help save you money. A consumption monitor doesn’t affect your power output it can however show you how much grid power you use versus your solar production. This is the best way to quantify your usage and adjust usage habits, it may even come with an app to help you better understand the data.

While these are not hard and fast rules when going solar, they will help you to reduce your initial spending costs and hopefully save you long term hassle. Solar may be daunting but renewable energy is the way of the future and why depend on grid power that regularly goes up in cost when you can lock in the cost by owning your own solar system.

Why solar power? 

Solar always made sense in South Africa as it gets around 40% more solar radiation than central Europe. Although Eskom produces an overwhelming amount of South Africa’s electricity, the government initially set out many programmes in order to grow the solar industry. The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme has shown that South Africa can successfully implement a large-scale, world-class renewable energy programme. This has led to a few large scale industrial solar plants predominantly in the Northern Cape, where some have been funded by Eskom. South Africa’s biggest solar plant is the Jasper Solar Power Project which is a 96MW system in the Northern Cape.  

Why residential solar systems? 

In 2016 residential solar system owners found that they could on average recoup the cost of the solar panel within 5 to 6 years. This window was more palatable for the average consumer as load shedding began to affect the average person. Solar companies are also now more experienced with offering clients more optimal systems that generate electricity more efficiently. More demand has also led to competition in the industry, creating more affordable options. As load shedding and tariffs on electricity continue to impact the livelihood of most South Africans, solar will continue to appeal to an ever growing market.  

Will Solar power fix all my power issues? 

Unfortunately it is still quite expensive to get a solar system big enough to go completely off grid. Having a smaller system that can be more fully utilized more of the time and then using the grid as a backup to cover any spikes in electricity usage is currently the most financially savvy option. A smaller system with a battery bank can easily power essential loads, such as lights, routers, TVs and fridges during power outages. However bigger appliances such as stoves and geysers are normally excluded. Without battery banks solar systems are not reliable enough to cover one from load shedding because solar power production will be reduced during those overcast and rainy days.  

What’s next for solar? 

Solar power technology will continue to develop due to an international push for renewable energy. This means that not only will solar systems continue to drop in price, they will also become more user-friendly, allowing for more households to easily be independent of local grids. Solar panels also have the potential to eventually replace objects such as glass and tiles on buildings and vehicles. 

Solar power is in a good place in South Africa with over 2.5GW of solar capacity installed. New solar companies are regularly entering the market allowing households a choice of suppliers as well as regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure that PV systems run smoothly.