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Thread: solar systems

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Justloadit View Post
    I did note this with other manufacturers but my Deye on rare occasions, I can hear very faintly a fan kick in when the heat sink reaches about 50°C.
    I was under the impression that the Deye and Sunsync are the same just branded differently.
    I am still trying to figue out if DEYE and Sunsynk are the same company ... I am surprised someone hasnt come up with comparison chart between inverters ... deciding which inverter is more of a challenge than designing the installation.

    a couple years a go it was simple ... limited choice ... now every week there is a cheaper lighter unit offering more features.

    The big question is are the installers installing the best option for your application.

    If you read the writing on the wall ... we in for some huge changes in the near future.

    I am already seeing bad designs and selection of inverters.

    Everything from mounting lead acid batteries inside cupboards.

    To backup systems to people who are expecting some sort of return on investment ... but the cheaper price not aware of the short falls.

    Incorrect design and installation practises.

    Lack of protective devices ... no surge protection ... missing fuses or incorrectly selected fuse and cicruit breaker protection.

    Another import thing to note ... just because a installation looks pretty doesnt make it legal or safe.

    This is why I believe every installation should be recorded on data base with the COC ... if you want to start an association make sure you have a competent person to carry out random checks and tests

    on your members installations.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  2. #12
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    Anyone know when the draft for the new SANS rules will be released ?
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by ians View Post
    I am still trying to figue out if DEYE and Sunsynk are the same company ... I am surprised someone hasnt come up with comparison chart between inverters ... deciding which inverter is more of a challenge than designing the installation.

    SunSynk anjd Deye are not the same company. Deye manufactures the inverters for SunSynk. The SunSynk customizes them with a more Westernized interface on the screen. But the inside components are the same. SunSynk is just easier to work with and has better support and local presence. There is a SunSynk technical and training center in Randburg/JHB.

    In regards of the noice, the 5kW is far away from sounding like a drone, even when it hot. I have one installed in the garage. The sound is very faint but if you have it in your living room, it will be a nuisance, even it not loud.

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  5. #14
    Diamond Member tec0's Avatar
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    In the end Solar systems are for the wealthy and no normal person can afford it anymore. Prices on Batteries are a all time high and inverters are also climbing in price. I have a 3.5kw system for my office and my one battery is not doing so hot. I already replaced one bank and started with the second battery bank when my supplier wanted to charge me double. I stopped and thought about it.

    Essentially the solar system was to keep my desktop computer alive along with 3 screens a TV and charge my devices. In total all my devices consumes about 1Kwh IF everything is powered at the same time. NOW here is the problem i need 400amp hour batteries that means 12Volt 200 amps each at now R6000 per gel battery. i know you get cheaper online but delivery cost is a factor. So now i must ask do i want to spend another R12k on batteries OR do i call it.

    Now i can grab 2 laptops for R12k each good enough to do the work i need to do. Also the laptops are portable and will give me 5 years. These batteries might give me 10 years. BUT i also have a 7.5Kw Generator and I don't need a UPS for the laptops. So... Now with my office load on my generator it was able to run for a long time. Once our power was out all day and it didn't run out of fuel till very late that afternoon. The laptops will give me 2hours each I know they can give much more BUT i need them set on performance so the batteries don't last.

    With the weather we had, many people's solar installs got damaged and mine luckily wasn't deployed as i store my panels when not in use. They are NOT fix to the house thanks to all the laws and regulations. So not having anything connected to the house's wiring i felt was a good idea..

    Point i am making Replacing all my batteries will set me back R12k for the second 24Volt bank and my third bank is also becoming a problem. The batteries are 5 years old BUT the business that sold it to me does not exist anymore...

    So conclusion.

    Before i spend another R12k to R24k on a system that will not last 7 years i am thinking Generator, i am thinking selling my solar system and i am thinking i will rather consider direct 12Volt use and not have a inverter. I saw laptop chargers that can run from 12Volt batteries. So there is a lot more i can do but because the weakest link is the battery itself i will not consider it anymore.

    Until we pay a fair price for batteries and have a proper businesses that will not be gone in 2 to 5 years time i will not spend more money on this. In short solar is a dead loss... Not because of the technology but because of maintenance and price.
    peace is a state of mind
    Disclaimer: everything written by me can be considered as fictional.

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    Only way i see solar being viable is to cook on gas, gas geyser and maybe load control relays washing machine (just don't do the washing when there is no power from kakcom) and when you use heaters (which isn't often in S.A.)

    Then you can easily run pretty much everything else in the house on Solar - comfortably. I mean 5kw system is just over 20 amps.

    What in your house is going to pull 20 amps?

    Even the washing machine would ok nicely through hybrid inverter even with everything else in standard house - drain the batteries in no time but that must be explained to teh client.

    Would also just need a bit more consideration on how house are wired.

    I have been wiring all of domestic customers so they could easily convert to Solar with minimal alteration for the last 10 years - I assumed S.A. would catch onto solar.....

    I was doing solar installs in the UK 12 years ago - 12 years ago!!! I mean how long does it take S.A. to catch on!!

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    The massive solar uptake in the UK and Europe was artificially driven by hand outs in the form of feed in tariffs which made the payback time 4 or 5 years. The SA government has no political will or money to offer those types of subsidies or do the necessary network upgrades to handle mass domestic PV feed-in. Add to this that in SA anyone installing solar would want to include a large li-ion battery bank it just means that financially for most people it doesn't make sense and the only reason that most people in SA would install solar is to negate the inconvenience of loadshedding.
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  9. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by skatingsparks View Post
    Only way i see solar being viable is to cook on gas, gas geyser
    We did the math - it doesn't make sense. The suppliers exploit the situation to such a degree that you are better off just buying a small Air-Fryer and not using a stove. That said - Stoves are a huge waste of money. Nothing beats a cheap hotplate and a small air-fryer.

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  11. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by AndyD View Post
    The massive solar uptake in the UK and Europe was artificially driven by hand outs in the form of feed in tariffs which made the payback time 4 or 5 years. The SA government has no political will or money to offer those types of subsidies or do the necessary network upgrades to handle mass domestic PV feed-in. Add to this that in SA anyone installing solar would want to include a large li-ion battery bank it just means that financially for most people it doesn't make sense and the only reason that most people in SA would install solar is to negate the inconvenience of loadshedding.
    Here is the truth, Eskom isn't to large to fail the problem is South Africa cannot exist without Eskom. Like it or not without Eskom we have no infrastructure or industry. Near 100% of all work is possible because Eskom exist. Food storage, water treatment plants and hospitals are some examples of how dependent we are. Solar can only do so much and really look at a 2Mwatt solar system. It is huge and every aspect of it isn't serviceable it is only replaceable. Meaning it WILL generate massive amounts of waste.

    On large scale mechanical power storage solutions maybe a better solution as these can be serviced and maintained.

    Li-ion batteries are a BIG problem when it comes to cost and waste. I decided gel batteries are better bet and honestly for the most part it worked. But suddenly gel batteries doubled in price and i cannot really understand why this is. People blame the rand dollar and even the pandemic but honestly... yea... Then there is this New South African Lithium-Ion Cell Mega-Factory, Plans For 32 GWh/Year By 2028 i am not 100% sure about this as well.

    So what do i know? Running a generator is expensive, Solar is expensive and it is not sustainable nor is it truly clean energy.

    So what will work? A combination of power generation via solar, grid power and fuel generators. But most importantly is to reconsider how power is used in the office or home. See I personally spend a lot of time and money getting devices that uses very little power for what they do and it wasn't easy BUT my entire house now use between 250 and 500 watts per hour "without cooking or geyser". This means my power bill is not that bad but more importantly my generator and my solar together with my 2400VA Trolley Inverters 1 for my fridge and 1 for my freezer can handle prolonged power outs that we get here.

    I have a little Sunbeam - Professional Convection Oven that draws a maximum of 1300 watts of power. It took me a while to learn how to use it properly but now that i know this little device inside and out i love it and will almost never need to use my oven unless i feel like baking. This little product from Sunbeam can run on my 7.5Kw Generator with ease. So no You don't just have gas ovens as a option.

    But all of this said i promise you if Eskom sinks we sink with it... Solar will not save us, only nuclear can and everyone here knows it.

    All i am saying is adding sun power to your home doesn't make it sustainable. You have to really consider what your devices do and how much power they use.
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    Disclaimer: everything written by me can be considered as fictional.

  12. #19
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    By using power saving devices, and by using solar hybrid systems, it does lesson the burden on the ESKOM supply. This does help a little bit, but the problem is that industry does not work like that, it needs big power,think of your smelters, injection molding machines, ovens and other industrial equipment to create products, which in turn employ people.

    So any way you turn it, we need big power if we want to reduce employment. The main problem is that it takes 7 years to build a new power station, provided all runs smoothly, so on a best case scenario, 7 years before power is stabalized.
    But I am quite sure the lack of skilled employees and the unions will put a spanner in the works, so we are looking at a longer time of this load shedding.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Justloadit View Post
    By using power saving devices, and by using solar hybrid systems, it does lesson the burden on the ESKOM supply. This does help a little bit, but the problem is that industry does not work like that, it needs big power,think of your smelters, injection molding machines, ovens and other industrial equipment to create products, which in turn employ people.

    So any way you turn it, we need big power if we want to reduce employment. The main problem is that it takes 7 years to build a new power station, provided all runs smoothly, so on a best case scenario, 7 years before power is stabalized.
    But I am quite sure the lack of skilled employees and the unions will put a spanner in the works, so we are looking at a longer time of this load shedding.
    Watch this "sideways" documentary about the American power grid. The documentary highlights issues that people don't think about when they get all hyped up about solar energy. Like you said - "It does not work that way"

    The Power Grid: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBpiXcyB7wU

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