One of the reasons I’ve joined and stayed exclusively on this forum is because it doesn’t sell anything. However, it seems many people here have Victron products and are therefore naturally a little biased towards them (I absolutely love my Victron products after it replaced my Growatt, for example). A little like Toyota vs Ford debate at a braai full of Afrikaans speaking boere.
Batteries are not a contentious subject here, but sometimes people are a little “aggressive” in trying to get someone to not make a mistake they themselves made.
I’ve had a Growatt (yes, I know they have many different types) and a relatively unknown battery (Shoto) (which had no communication protocol with the inverter). The whole setup would have worked just fine completely off-grid, but it was inefficient and buggy grid-tied. Thereafter I went Victron because I saw their documentation and knew that no company that puts that much effort into documentation will be half-assing anything.
Your questions are welcome and it is great having people here, planning their first systems.
I used to be on that other forum, asked for my profile to be deleted there, nough said. I joined here to share my experience with solar. There is preciously little info on Micro grids out here in SA, also on forums there may be some or a lot of bias due to the fact that we are all human.
I can only talk about stuff that I have experience with, and because I have blue stuff and know how some of it works, does not make that the best. I do not force my choices on anybody. Other’s requirements are different to mine, so their choices should be different as well.
Groetnis
This is the typical thread that chases members away from a forum. Favoritism is an evil ! The idea of an forum is not to withhold expertise, but to deal it with those who require info. There is members also on this forum, who give advice in the hope they might be able to capitalize on their advice.
Does everybody out their drives Mercedes or BMW? Isn’t their a host of cars, all of them being used by a different driver with his own opinions? I can’t remember when last I heard a conversation like that.
As far as the Fivestar panels that was mentioned in the first few lines. Yes they are re branded panels, from one of the biggest solar panel manufacturers in the world, carries a 25/12 year warranty, same as most other tier1 panels. They are definitely not panels that were thrown out due to QC. PS. I do not sell these panels myself, but is in very close contact with the people selling them.
My thought Speedster… If you do not have the R10k for the “branded” models, you can definitely spend it on the Fivestar panels, without any worries.
Cheers
You seem to make a blanket statement that the price difference is worth more than the ability to honour a warranty and proven reliability of more established brands. That isn’t a “definitely”, that is a “probably” at best.
Obviously not everybody has the money for the so called “best” parts out there. In SA we are very focused on brands that have provided reliable service in the past (not flashy service), probably because we do not have lots of money to pay for “school fees”. Why else does Toyota enjoy the reputation it does.
Care to share a link to the said panels and any warranty documents / product documents. From quick googling, I was only able to find some listing in China that state 5 year warranty, 10 /25 year design life.
We are not saying bmw or Mercedes is the only good ones but rather that a vehicle with certain safety features are the best option. This includes most vehicles available in South Africa.
A Datsun go with still get you from a to b, but is it recommended and does it meet the minimum safety standards, probably not.
Coming onto a forum and saying that a certain product is excellent without providing any product documents to back that up doesn’t really help. At least with tier 1 panels, there are plenty of documents available and real life use of the brand that has gone through the relevant testing.
For me, it is simply that when asked for advice, it forces me into the corner of telling you what is least likely to make you angry at me later.
While we’re talking cars, it makes me think of something I read in the car magazine many years ago. This guy was telling the story of how his friend asked his opinion on a car to buy. His friend was looking at a Peugeot 407 or something like that. Either that or a Corolla.
He told him the sensible choice is the Corolla, but (and this is what this particular write-up was about), that he now regrets doing that. These cars are so far apart in terms of… well… everything, that it is quite clear the guy really wanted the 407. He was hoping his friend would agree with him. Instead his friend gave him some useless “sensible” advice.
So… buy what your heart tells you. Enjoy it, learn from it. And please don’t ask me about it again 
I agree with that sentiment … bar the end part. 
Best advice on hand was given on how we’ve learned, paying school fees, to look at things. Chris comes along adding some more info … simple as that.
What tickles in the back of my mind … I bought Tenesol at the factory right here in Cpt. Right when I had a repair issue, I learned the factory has closed down.
What was that solar panel manufacturer in Kzn, or E/L, somewhere that side of SA? Top-quality tier 1 panels, “the good stuff”, then they had to retrench a lot of staff BC (Before Covid). Are they still around?
My point … warranty smaranty on > 5 years, some cases even 1 year warranties. I placed my “bet” on Canadians supplied by Rubicon/Segen.
But your Tenesols are still going right? Or did you get rid of them?
I still have all 6 my Tenesols on the roof. 9 years old now. Still with the original Tyco connectors too (I made adapters to MC4). I’m not seeing any degradation, visually or in power production.
In this current debate, I’m in a somewhat Meh state. PV modules are cheap and the least likely to cause you trouble. If they look good to you, go right ahead.
If you want my official opinion… I’m going to tell you not to do it. Cause I cannot in good conscience guarantee it’s going to be fine…
Sold them on and they are still going strong.
I’ll tell you one thing about those Tyco connectors. WAY easier to disconnect when you need to…
Chris lets sort this out quickly, no one on this forum gives advice to benefit themselves. If I or any other member wants to sell stuff here, we do it behind the scenes in Pm’s. If I feel i can help someone, I contact them in private, I havent contacted Speedster at all to try and make a sale, because the products he is interested in, I dont sell.
You will be silenced in this forum as I will not allow you to cause the same conflict here like you did on a previous forum, If you want to talk about it, you can contact me in private. I am sure you still have my number as well.
@Speedster I dont loose or benefit anything at all from your discission to buy these or any other brand of panel, but I have an responsibility to give you the best advice I can.
We deal with insurances a lot. Quite a few of them will not insure you if you did not use a tier one panel. It remains your choice if you want to save 10K but risk not having a valid claim should something happen in the future…
Its all boils down to the risk you are willing to take and what savings makes that risk worth while…
This would be my last post for a while as I refuse to be accused of trying to benefit myself when I am trying to give the best possible advice so that newcomers dont make the mistakes even I made when I started my solar journey. (And believe me, Chris has accused me of this since the days of PF)
I will still moderate the forum and keep it clean from unnecessary nonsense like this.
Thanks!!!
I don’t think this is needed Jaco. I think you (same for everyone) contribute lots of value and if we all stay within the “lanes” we will all benefit!
I too use this forum exclusively because it doesn’t sell anything but also the positive atmosphere is very refreshing.
The advice I have received from everyone has always been free and unbiased in my opinion and I really appreciate that.
That being said, I think the message that everyone is trying to convey is that the majority of the people on this forum no longer have the system they started their solar journey with initially, I know I dont.
Had I known then what I know now, I would have spent a little more initially and started a little smaller with a system that I could expand easily and grow into further down the road.
I would have saved myself a LOT of money, wasted time and frustration.
Please don’t. I can attest to the help for nil compensation at the oddest times of day and week!
Groetnis