The real cost of a solar system – good news for homeowners

by | Mar 8, 2021 | Solar, What does it cost?

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Setting up a reliable alternative to the national power grid has become a necessity for families across South Africa. 

As with any major improvement to your home, installing a
solar system comes with certain costs – but the benefit of reliable electricity and potential monthly savings more than makes up for these in the long run. 

In this article we’ll take a look at the average cost of installing an independent electricity generation system using solar panels, batteries and a solar power inverter. Here we show you some of the
solar system cost savings and benefits it brings. 

Solar energy isn’t just an expense – it’s an investment

A typical solar power system will require an initial investment of between R40 000 and R150 000 or more.

These figures may look expensive at first glance, but the
long-term savings associated with investing in your home’s energy producing capacity and eventually having the option to go off-grid will help you recover these costs. You could also lower your electricity bill for decades to come.

To illustrate some of the benefits of installing a solar system in your home let’s take a closer look at the type of set up you might need, the costs involved and some of the potential savings you could enjoy. 

Solar system costs depend on the size of your setup

The cost of various solar energy systems can vary by tens of thousands of Rand. Knowing exactly how much you’ll need to pay upfront is the first step in budgeting for any home-improvement – here’s how the initial costs of a solar system rental or purchase related to the size of your home or business. 

  • A typical green energy system consists of several solar panels, a bank of storage batteries, and a solar power inverter to convert the electricity from your panels and batteries to AC current that your household devices use. 
  • As your energy requirements increase, you’ll need more solar panels to generate electricity, more batteries to store it, and a higher-capacity inverter to convert your electricity to a usable form. A modular hybrid system enables you to add additional batteries and panels should you decide to increase your savings at any time during your rental period.

For a breakdown of the actual cost of a solar solution, have a look at our detailed article here.

Cost savings and payback periods

Again, this is very much down to consumer behavior and actual savings and payback periods differ on a case by case basis. But for the point of the exercise, let’s use some general assumptions. 

A 3 bedroom house that uses approximately 30-40 kWh’s a day is spending approximately R3000 a month on electricity. A typical system costing approximately R140 000 would produce around 22kWh’s worth of power a day. Equating to around R1 700 of savings a month. Assuming an annual Eskom escalation of 15% based on their latest increase, you would pay back the initial capital required in a little over 5 years whilst enjoying another 10-15 years of savings for the remaining life of your system. 

Go Solar – Go Green

In addition to direct benefits like monthly savings and a stable power supply, going solar also offers you the opportunity to embrace green living and help stop climate change in its tracks.

Solar energy involves zero carbon emissions during the power generation process – unlike traditional electricity which is based on coal and diesel burning power stations that harm the environment.

With electricity supply set to be less than reliable and prices likely to rise in the coming years, now is the ideal time to invest in a solar system for your home – and boost your savings in the long term. 

To learn more about solar energy and request a free quotation for your home or business, contact us today or download our ebook.

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