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Solar & Energy FAQ

The GridVolt Guide for Homes, Businesses, Farms, Schools & Hospitality.

How to use this Guide

Solar is not a one-size-fits-all purchase.
The right solution depends on when you use electricity, your tariff, the loads you need to support, your site, and your financial objective.
This guide answers the questions clients most often ask GridVolt and adds practical South African questions around:
– SSEG compliance
– batteries
– tariffs
– finance
– long-term ownership.

Important: municipal and Eskom requirements can change and differ by supply authority.
GridVolt confirms the requirements applicable to each project during the design and approval process.

FAQ Sections

1. Solar Basics
2. Designing the Right System
3. Batteries, Backup & Generators
4. Savings, Tariffs & Financial Return
5. SSEG, Registration & South African Compliance
6. Installation, Safety & Quality
7. Monitoring, Maintenance & Warranties8. Before You Buy Solar

1. Solar Basics

What is solar PV?

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight directly into DC electricity. An inverter then converts and manages that electricity for use by your property.

A typical system includes PV panels, mounting, DC and AC protection, cabling and an inverter. Hybrid and off-grid systems also include battery storage and associated battery protection and controls.

Grid-tied solar reduces grid purchases while the utility is available. Hybrid solar combines PV with batteries and the grid to provide savings and backup. Off-grid systems operate independently of the utility and normally require larger PV and battery capacity, careful load management and often generator support.

kW measures real power at a point in time. kWp is the peak DC rating of a PV array under standard test conditions. kVA measures apparent power and is commonly used for inverter, transformer and generator capacity. kWh measures energy used or generated over time and is the unit that usually drives electricity cost.

Yes. Panels still generate from available daylight, although production is lower than on a clear day. A credible proposal should use realistic annual production assumptions rather than perfect-weather output.

A conventional grid-tied inverter shuts down when the grid fails for safety. A correctly designed hybrid system can continue supplying designated backup loads from batteries and available solar.

A well-designed and maintained PV system can operate for decades. Panels generally have the longest life; inverters and batteries have different service lives and warranties and may require replacement during the overall life of the PV array.

Yes. PV modules gradually degrade. Quality panels normally include a long-term performance warranty that defines the expected remaining output over time.

2. Designing the Right System

How does GridVolt size a solar system?

We start with consumption. GridVolt analyses how much electricity you use, when you use it, the applicable tariff and the loads that need backup. We then design the PV, inverter and battery capacity around the technical requirement and financial return.

Two customers with the same monthly bill can have very different load profiles. Daytime usage, evening peaks, demand charges and time-of-use periods change the ideal solution. Consumption analysis helps avoid both undersizing and unnecessary capital expenditure.

Data logging is valuable where interval consumption data is unavailable or where loads vary significantly. It helps us see peaks, base load, operating hours, power demand and opportunities for solar, storage and tariff optimisation.

It depends on panel wattage, orientation, access pathways, shading and mounting layout. Higher-wattage modules can reduce the number of panels required, but usable roof geometry is as important as the nominal roof area.

North-facing roofs are traditionally attractive in South Africa, but east-west arrays can be excellent where the goal is to spread production across the working day. The best layout depends on the customer’s load profile, not only maximum midday generation.

Yes. Flat roofs can use tilted, ballasted or mechanically fixed mounting systems depending on the structure, waterproofing and wind-loading requirements.

Yes. Ground mounts are often ideal for farms and properties with unsuitable roofs. They can provide good orientation and maintenance access, but foundations, soil conditions, wind loading, cable routes and security need to be considered.

Yes. Trees, buildings, chimneys and other obstructions can reduce generation. The impact depends on the array design and inverter technology, so shading should be assessed before finalising the layout.

Often yes, but expansion should be planned from the beginning. Inverter capacity, battery compatibility, MPPT inputs, switchgear, cable sizing, roof space and municipal approvals can all affect future expansion.

Sometimes. GridVolt assesses condition, electrical compatibility, warranties, communication protocols and compliance before incorporating existing equipment into a new design.

3. Batteries, Backup & Generators

Do I need batteries?

Not necessarily. If the goal is purely to offset daytime electricity use, a grid-tied system may deliver a strong return without storage. Batteries are useful for backup, evening solar utilisation, peak shaving, time-of-use optimisation and increased independence.

Battery sizing considers the energy required in kWh, the peak power required in kW, usable depth of discharge, expected outage duration, solar recharge opportunity and the customer’s financial objective.

A battery’s nameplate capacity is not always the amount of energy available for normal use. Usable capacity depends on the manufacturer’s permitted depth of discharge, reserve settings and system configuration.

Backup time equals usable stored energy divided by the average load, with allowance for system losses and operating limits. High-power appliances can shorten backup time dramatically.

Potentially, yes, but these loads can be large. We assess both their running power and start-up demand and decide whether they should be backed up, scheduled to solar hours, controlled, or left on non-essential supply.

A cycle is the process of charging and discharging a battery. Battery life is influenced by cycle count, depth of discharge, temperature, charge rates and the manufacturer’s operating limits.

Yes. Batteries can store excess solar for later use and, on suitable time-of-use tariffs, can shift energy from cheaper periods to expensive peak periods. The economics should be modelled before adding storage purely for arbitrage.

Yes, on suitable systems. Solar, batteries and a generator can be coordinated so the generator runs less and operates more efficiently while still providing resilience during prolonged low-solar periods or high loads.

Yes. During suitable operating conditions, PV can carry a significant portion of the load and batteries can reduce generator runtime. The exact saving depends on generator controls, minimum loading, fuel efficiency and the site’s load profile.

Yes, but off-grid design is different from adding backup to a grid-connected property. The system must cover seasonal solar variation, peak loads and periods of poor weather, with appropriate reserve capacity and usually a contingency such as a generator.

4. Savings, Tariffs & Financial Return

How much can solar reduce my electricity bill?

There is no universal percentage. Savings depend on the tariff, daytime consumption, solar yield, battery strategy, fixed charges and whether demand or time-of-use charges apply. GridVolt models the expected savings using the customer’s actual profile.  We typically save between 70 and 80 percent.

Oversized PV can produce energy when there is no load to consume it. If export compensation is limited or unavailable, that excess has less value. The best financial system is usually sized around useful energy, not maximum panel count.

Self-consumption is the percentage of solar energy used directly on site rather than exported. High self-consumption generally improves the value of each solar kWh when imported grid energy costs more than exported energy earns.

Self-sufficiency measures how much of the property’s total electricity requirement is supplied by solar and batteries rather than the grid.

Simple payback is the initial investment divided by annual savings. It is useful as a quick measure but does not capture finance costs, electricity escalation, maintenance, equipment replacement or the time value of money.

LCOE estimates the lifetime cost of producing each kWh from the solar system. It is useful for comparing the long-term cost of solar energy with grid electricity, particularly for commercial and agricultural projects.

Yes, in the right project. If monthly savings exceed the finance repayment and ongoing service costs, the client can have a positive monthly cash-flow benefit while paying for the system.

Tariffs can include energy charges, demand charges, capacity charges, line fees, fixed charges and time-of-use periods. Sometimes tariff optimisation creates savings before the first panel is installed and improves the return of the final system.

Time-of-use tariffs charge different rates during peak, standard and off-peak periods. Solar and batteries can be scheduled to reduce purchases during expensive periods and, where financially sensible, recharge during lower-cost periods.

Potentially. A battery can discharge during short demand peaks to reduce the maximum demand recorded by the meter. Successful peak shaving requires accurate interval data, sufficient inverter power and a well-controlled battery strategy.

Solar generation alone does not automatically remove fixed charges. In some agricultural or rural cases, a change in supply arrangement or tariff may reduce or eliminate certain charges, subject to utility rules and technical feasibility.

A Power Purchase Agreement is a structure in which a qualifying customer buys energy generated by a solar system under a long-term agreement rather than funding the full system upfront. Commercial terms and eligibility vary by project.

GridVolt can facilitate finance for qualifying projects, including structures with no deposit or 100% funding subject to credit approval, project size and the funder’s terms.  Financing ranges from 5 to 10 years.

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