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Frequently asked questions
GENERAL QUESTIONS
A “hybrid” combines features of two similar things into one. A hybrid solar inverter also known as a multi-mode inverter is an inverter which can simultaneously manage inputs from both solar panels and a battery bank.
A hybrid solar inverter combines features of a standard solar inverter and a battery inverter into one affordable and smart charging electricity routing unit.
Their main advantage is in a blackout to provide smooth, reliable electricity from battery storage systems to power critical loads.
If you’re thinking about going solar, the combined features of standard inverters with battery inverters in a hybrid unit which is a compelling option.
The main benefit of solar energy is that it can be easily deployed by both home and business users as it does not require any huge set up like in case of wind or geothermal power.
Solar energy not only benefits individual owners but also benefit the environment as well. Solar energy is one of the most widely used renewable energy sources.
There are many advantages that solar energy has to offer over traditional sources of energy like coal and oil. Not only it is completely renewable but is also protects the environment.
1. It’s a Renewable Resource
Solar energy is a renewable source of energy as it can be used to produce electricity as long as the sun exists. Sunshine occurs naturally. As long as we are alive, we are always going to see the sun, which means it is infinite
. This energy can be harnessed by installing solar panels that can reduce our dependence on other countries for a consistent supply of coal to produce electricity. This makes it an attractive energy prospect for most countries that are looking to go completely green in the future.
Although solar energy can not be produced during the night and cloudy days but it can be used again and again during day time. Solar energy from the sun is a consistent and constant power source and can be used to harness power even in remote locations.
2. It’s Eco-friendly
If you are scavenging the internet in search of ways to minimize your carbon footprints, solar energy is the surefire answer. Solar energy will not only help you dial back on your carbon footprint but also oversize your systems to ensure you live in a carbon-free house. Some states in the U.S. even allow individuals to invest in other people’s roofs to create a lot more solar energy.
Solar energy is an alternative for fossil fuels as it is a non-polluting, clean, reliable and renewable source of energy. It does not pollute the air by releasing harmful gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide or sulfur oxide. So, the risk of damage to the environment is reduced. Solar energy also does not require any fuel to produce electricity and thus avoids the problem of transportation of fuel or storage of radioactive waste.
3. Cuts Back on Electricity Bill
One of the most interesting things about solar energy is that it can help you minimize your annoying utility bills. You can accomplish this by installing solar panels in your home.
Solar energy takes up energy-consuming activities like heating water and heating homes. Solar energy has the potential to save you up to 20% of your energy costs, even after financing costs are factored in. And with the ever rocketing of electricity costs, you could save up to $60,000 in the next 30 years.
4. Can Enhance the Value of a Home
If you are looking to sell your home in the future, suffice to know that the installation of solar technologies can significantly increase its value. This especially manifests in areas where buyers are more likely to buy a home installed with solar panels like high populated cities where environmental degradation is taken seriously by the authorities.
Findings, solar panels can add to the value of a house.
5. Requires Little Maintenance
The cost of installing a solar panel can be high. But once it’s up and running, you will enjoy the benefits for many years, while injecting just a small amount for its maintenance.
If your energy needs change and you desire to add more panels, it would be a lot easier. Initial cost that is incurred once can be recovered in the long run that range from 10 years – 15 years. Apart from this, solar panels do not create any noise or release any toxic substances.
6. Easy Installation
Solar panels are easy to install and does not require any wires, cords or power sources. Unlike wind and geothermal power stations which require them to be tied with drilling machines, solar panels do not require them and can be installed on the rooftops which mean no new space is needed and each home or business user can generate their own electricity. Moreover, they can be installed in a distributed fashion which means no large scale installations are needed.
With the advancement in the technology and an increase in production, the cost of solar panels has come down slightly. Areas where the cost of electricity is high, payback times can be even lower.
7. Can Be Used in Remote Locations
Solar energy can be of a great boon in areas that have no access to power cables. It works great in remote locations where running power lines would be difficult or costly. Solar panels can set up to produce solar energy there as long as it receives the sunlight.
8. Long-Lasting Solar Panels
Solar cells make no noise at all and there are no moving parts in solar cells which makes them long-lasting and require very little maintenance. Solar energy provides cost-effective solutions to energy problems where there is no electricity at all. Solar Panels can last beyond 25 years
Important electronics that help you run your home & business can shut down during electrical surges or outages and blackouts. SA Inverter Solutions can provide you with a Power Back Up system for your home & home office.
By implementing a Power Back Up system from SA Inverter Solutions you are able to keep alive Desktop Computers, Network Equipment, WiFi & Phone Systems in your Home Office during any break in the Power Transmission to your Home.
By implementing a Power Back Up system from SA Inverter Solutions you are able to avoid losing unsaved data or harming the electronics in many ways. Preventing your computer from losing power is highly important for several reasons: Sudden loss of power can corrupt operating systems installation, which can result in costly repairs. Power loss can harm or weaken the internal parts of your computer. It is also possible they can be completely damaged causing the need for replacement. If your computer loses power while you’re using it, you will lose any unsaved work which can be detrimental and result in rework and higher labour costs.
Your computers and other devices are a large investment, ensuring you have consistent and regulated electricity flowing to the device is key to extending the longevity of your devices while also ensuring the safety of your data and work from power surges and outages.
While in your home you typically need Lights, T.V, Wi-Fi, cell phone charging and more importantly certain types of critical medical equipment such as oxygen machines, sleep apnoea machines & respirators, SA Inverter Solutions is one way of providing backup power for these requirements.
The 850 VA inverter with a 100 amp battery supply the following devices for the duration of …
Devices | Duration |
4 lights | 4 hours |
TV | |
Decoder | |
Wi-Fi | |
charge phone |
|
The 850 VA inverter with a 200 amp battery will supply the following devices for the duration of …
Devices | Duration |
4 lights | 8 hours |
TV | |
Decoder | |
Wi-Fi | |
charge phone |
|
The 1450 VA inverter with 2 X 100 amp batteries supply the following devices for the duration of …
Devices | Duration |
4 lights | 3 hours |
TV X 2 | |
Decoder | |
Wi-Fi | |
charge phone | |
Laptop | |
Computer | |
Fridge | |
Freezer |
The 1450 VA inverter with 2 X 200 amp batteries supply the following devices for the duration of …
Devices | Duration |
4 lights | 6 hours |
TV X 2 | |
Decoder | |
Wi-Fi | |
charge phone | |
Laptop | |
Computer | |
Fridge | |
Freezer |
How do you decide which size Inverter to Purchase.
The table below gives you an estimate of what your typical devices consumption per device is.
Laptop 25 -75 watts Refrigerator up 300 to 800 watts
Desktop 50 – 100 watts Coffee Machine 800 – 1200 watts
LED TV 50 – 100 watts Microwave 900 – 2000 watts
Fluorescent Light 25 watts Hair Dryer 800 to 2400 watts
Incandescent Light 100 watts Washing Machine 400 to 2000 watts
Decide which is your critical appliance that must be running during load shedding, add the watts up and that will give you an indication of how big of a system you might need to purchase.
How to use the table.
Use the lower end of the range for your newer appliances and the upper end for your older appliances, e.g. older refrigerator usage will tend towards 800 watts while a new refrigerator will tend towards 300 watt.
e.g. You have decided during load shedding for 2 hours+ you must have the following appliances running. TV, 3 lights & fridge so it’s an old LED TV = 100watts and 3 lights at 25 watts each = 75 watts and newish fridge = 400 watt
Total will be 100watts + 75watts + 400watts = 575watts
So the system you would most like choose from SA Inverter Solutions is the “THE HOME BASIC” which is a 850 va inverter with a 100 amp deep cycle battery for R6100 (this is an example, a qualified consultant must be engaged before any purchase is made)
WHY SHOULD I GO SOLAR?
When you install a solar energy system on your property, you save money on your electricity bills and protect yourself against rising electricity rates in the future. How much you can save depends on the utility rates and solar policies in your area, but going solar is a smart investment regardless of where you live.
Solar power, like other renewable energy resources, has many environmental and health benefits. Going solar reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, and also results in fewer air pollutants like sulphur dioxide and particulate matter, which can cause health problems.
Studies have shown that homes with solar energy systems sell for more than homes without them. However, your property value will only increase if you own, rather than lease, your solar panel system. In most parts of the country, going solar will actually increase your property value more than a kitchen renovation.
Generator:
Generators are AC power supplies that use fossil fuels as their main source of energy. In other words, they use fuel (diesel or petrol) to run an engine. One of the major drawbacks of a generator is they can be inefficient and waste a lot of fuel if they’re not run at the appropriate load. Generators also unnecessarily pollute the environment. If your generator is run below seventy five percent of its rated capacity, this can cause carbon buildup on the critical engine components, shortening the life of your generator’s engine. In addition, generators are noisy & expensive to run and maintain. The running and service costs per Kwh can exceed R15.00/Kwh.
Inverter:
Inverters are also AC power supplies but they use stored DC electrical energy in a battery or battery bank. They use electronics and transformers to modify the DC to AC and then boost the voltage to create 220V. Inverters are extremely efficient, even when compared to generators, and only consume DC power in direct relation to the amount of AC power they put out.
Other major benefits of inverters are:
- they are virtually silent compared to generators;
- the batteries are charged when connected to the main utility power source, alternatively solar panels can be used to charge the batteries;
- they are comparatively light weight compared to generators;
- there is no need to store fuel (diesel or petrol);
- the running costs are much lower;
- there is little or no maintenance involved.
An inverter system is easily able to replace any power supplier, with the use of sufficient solar panels.
HOW DO SOLAR PANELS WORK FOR MY HOME?
Solar panels absorb the sun's energy throughout the day and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity. Most homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC) electricity, so the DC electricity is then passed through an inverter to convert it to usable AC electricity. At that point, you either use the electricity in your house or send it back to the electric grid.
When you install solar panels on your property, you will still be connected to the grid. This allows you to draw from the grid when your system is not producing all of the power that you need, and send power back to the grid when you produce more than you use. It is possible to go off the grid with a solar energy system that includes battery storage, but it will cost significantly more and is unnecessary for the majority of homeowners.
A sine wave inverter uses filtering to closely approximate a real sine wave which is similar to grid like electricity. Most of the household appliances are designed to work on sine wave which makes sine wave inverters safer than square wave. Also, sine wave inverters are reasonably quiet and no humming sound is observed from the connected load devices like fans, bulbs etc. However, sine wave inverters are little expensive than the square wave.
Generator:
Generators are AC power supplies that use fossil fuels as their main source of energy. In other words, they use fuel (diesel or petrol) to run an engine. One of the major drawbacks of a generator is they can be inefficient and waste a lot of fuel if they’re not run at the appropriate load. Generators also unnecessarily pollute the environment. If your generator is run below seventy five percent of its rated capacity, this can cause carbon buildup on the critical engine components, shortening the life of your generator’s engine. In addition, generators are noisy & expensive to run and maintain. The running and service costs per Kwh can exceed R15.00/Kwh.
Inverter:
Inverters are also AC power supplies but they use stored DC electrical energy in a battery or battery bank. They use electronics and transformers to modify the DC to AC and then boost the voltage to create 220V. Inverters are extremely efficient, even when compared to generators, and only consume DC power in direct relation to the amount of AC power they put out.
Other major benefits of inverters are:
- they are virtually silent compared to generators;
- the batteries are charged when connected to the main utility power source, alternatively solar panels can be used to charge the batteries;
- they are comparatively light weight compared to generators;
- there is no need to store fuel (diesel or petrol);
- the running costs are much lower;
- there is little or no maintenance involved.
An inverter system is easily able to replace any power supplier, with the use of sufficient solar panels.
There are a lot of terms you can use to describe how electricity flows and is used by appliances. We’ve already mentioned most of them – here are a few definitions to keep things straight:
- Volts (V): volts (short for voltage) are measures of electrical pressure differences. Put simply, voltage is the speed of electricity passing through a circuit.
- Amps (A): amps (short for amperes) are a measure of electrical current. Put simply, amps are the amount of electrons (which make up electricity) flowing through a circuit.
- Watts (W) and kilowatts (kW): multiplying volts x amps gets you watts (or wattage). Put simply, watts are the rate of electricity consumption. A kilowatt is just 1,000 watts.
- Kilowatt-hours (kWh): lastly, kilowatt-hours are how your electric bill measures your energy usage. Simply put, kilowatt-hours are electricity consumption over time.
You can think of all of these terms like water flowing through a pipe. Voltage is the water pressure, amps are the amount of water flowing past any point, and wattage is the overall rate of water flow through the pipe.
Battery Banks Explained
A battery bank is the result of joining two or more batteries together for a single application. By connecting batteries, you can increase the voltage or amperage, or both. When you need more power you can create a battery bank. There are 2 ways to successfully connect two or more batteries, series and parallel.
.
Batteries Connected In Series
Series adds the voltage of the two batteries, but keeps the same amperage rating (also known as Amp Hours). For example, these two 6 Volt batteries joined in series now produce 12 Volts, but still have a total capacity of 10 Amps.
Batteries Connected in Parallel
A battery bank connected in Parallel will increase your current rating, but the voltage will stay the same. In the diagram below, the output voltage stays at 6 Volts, but the Amps increase to 20. It is important use the correct size cables to allow for the Amp rating of the battery bank.
Batteries Connected in Series/Parallel
It is also possible to connect batteries in what is called a Series/Parallel configuration. In this configuration can increase your voltage output and current rating. To do this you need at minimum of four batteries.Imagen you have two sets of batteries already connected in parallel, you can join them together to form a series. In the diagram below, we have a bank that produces 12 Volts and has 20 Amp Hours.
Electricity flows through a parallel connection just the same as it does in a single battery. Therefore, you can connect two parallel connections in a series as you would two batteries. Only one cable is needed, a bridge between a positive terminal from one parallel bank to a negative terminal from the other parallel bank.
Electricity flows through a parallel connection just the same as it does in a single battery. Therefore, you can connect two parallel connections in a series as you would two batteries. Only one cable is needed, a bridge between a positive terminal from one parallel bank to a negative terminal from the other parallel bank.
