Electricity in South Africa has been a hot topic over the last few years. Last year, the price of electricity increased by over 15%, and Eskom is pushing for a 20.5% hike for 2023’s financial year. In addition, the Eskom grid is becoming more and more unreliable as carbon taxes increase and load-shedding is more prevalent than ever.
This is why many South Africans are flocking to solar power as a solution. An opportunity to go off the Eskom grid and take electricity into your own hands. However, turning to solar panels is pricey. The cost of installing solar panels in a residential home ranges from R80k to 200k, leading many South Africans to ask the question, “Is moving to a solar-powered house worth it?”
How do I calculate how much electricity I use?
Eskom claims that the average South African household uses about 800-900 kWh per month. Resulting in an average monthly cost of R1600-R1800.
While it may be simple to say, “I use R1300–1500 a month on electricity,” it doesn’t give a perfect reflection of how much electricity is used monthly. This is because your cost per kWh depends on your home’s location.
If you’re lucky, modern electricity meters will tell you exactly how much kWh you’ve used in the last month. If your meter doesn’t have this option on your municipal bill or prepaid slip, it should let you know your cost per kWh.
Calculation: Take your average monthly cost and divide it by the price per kWh.
Which solar panel system would I need?
The average house spending about R1300 (500 kWh) monthly on electricity would need a 5kW inverter, 5kW Grade A Tier 1 solar panels, and a 5kWh lithium battery.
We at Luken Solar offer this package for a cost of R 113,299.07 (incl. VAT). This package includes:
- The system will generate (on average) 20kWh per day
- 5kW Sunsynk Inverter
- 5kW Grade A Tier 1 Solar Panels
- 5kWh Revov Lithium Battery
- Full installation.
- Certificate of conformity (CoC).
- Provides 5 hours of backup at a 1kW load.
- Max load capacity of 5kW
While this package would be sufficient for a household spending 1300 monthly, we have eight different packages available for residential homes.
The 5 kW + 3kW Solar Panels + 5kWh backup system package will provide enough electricity to power most of your house. You should not have issues running routers, laptops, phone chargers, TVs, computers, etc. However, specific power units that draw too much energy, such as a stove, geyser, or heater, would need to remain on the grid or use an alternative power source such as additional solar power or gas.
The benefits of a solar panel system
The cost of a solar panel system can be daunting at first. However, when you take a step back and look at all the benefits this system provides, it makes it clear that moving off the grid to a solar system is better.
Save on Utility Bills
Aside from the payments for the package, you only need to pay for the maintenance of the solar panels. Depending on your credit score, there is a possibility of paying off your solar panel system on a bond. The bond may be cheaper than your monthly electricity bill in many cases!
Reliable Power
Solar power is one of the most reliable power sources available. Less than 5 out of 10,000 solar panels fail every year. This makes a solar system more reliable than your grid, where power outages are frequent even when load-shedding is not present. In addition, the panels last for long periods of time and require minimal maintenance.
Eco-Friendly
In the past ten years, Eskom has made numerous attempts to avoid compliance with the minimum emission standards (MES). It is our responsibility to remove any carbon footprints we may have. Solar power is one of the most eco-friendly options for gathering electricity. We suggest you go green!
Are you looking to add solar power to your home? View our different available packages here.
Luken Solar is a family-owned business in the Eastern Cape with 15 years of experience and over 18’000 panels installed! Grab a quote today to install solar power on your home!