Got my inverter hooked up to DB boards. And went bos with the label maker 
Hopefully can get my fused switches this week or next so I can connect batteries.
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Looks like a vintage Dymo-tape type?
(I see I can still buy those new… and both the label maker and the tape is so much cheaper than the Brother printer I have… 
).
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Got my fuse disconectors yesterday so have been busy making up some cables and then realised I don’t have enough lugs 
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Then you go to the hardware store and they have 25x8 an 35x10 but no 35x8. Because it is weekend, the specialist shops are all closed. And so the whole project grounds to a halt until next weekend…
Yip pretty much.
Got pricing for the Mppt so long and also should be getting my Dehn DC surge arrestors in the next few weeks, then I can build the PV DB board. Then it’s onto the roof with the unistrut and sealant, flip there is still lots to do 
Unless … you are a “semi professional hoarder”, with a lovely stash of “stuff”, then you just make do.
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My lovely stash tends to run short of important things at inopportune moments. For example, this weekend I needed 10 security screws (to reattach burglar bars that were removed to be repainted), and I had only 8 in my stash…
Update time, got more lugs 
Plus should be getting my 150/60 MPPT today so long weekend here I come.
Have applied for prepaid, same as some of my neighbors, and if it doesn’t work out will work towards off-grid eventually. I’m on a plot so we get direct from eskom but they charge quite a lot of fees as you can see below about 3/4 is just connection fees.
Madness! You don’t actually use that much electricity so surely going off-grid might be the best option? You can do a lot with R42k per year of electricity costs (if you only need to provide 650kWh per month).
3500 x 12 = ±R42 000pa
Call it ±R180 000 for a 5kva system with lithium bank and panels: ±5 years and it is paid.
So the cheaper you can do it, the faster the system pays … or take it one step at a time.
Yes it can go up to 1000+ units during winter but with some small changes we could reduce that a lot. We already have gas throughout the house so to change geyser to gas for example would be quite easy.
also as you can see the more you use then you fall into the next bracket of connection fees so it just climbs
yip that’s the plan, already got quite a bit paid for need to eventually add more batts and my east/west arrays. Just need to finish my current install ASAP.
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Not sure how cold it get there, but a heat-pump geyser might be a great alternative to consider?
Presumably heating costs a lot in the winter - A nice log burner stove could also do wonders. Rule of thumb is, apparently, 1 log = 2kW and burns for about 1.5h. 1 log of bluegum costs about 50 cents, maybe R1 (depending on the size), but still much cheaper than 3kWh of electricity.
yip it does we got a awesome fireplace and last winter it was on every day.
My big elec users are the geyser and then washing machine, tumble drier and dishwasher but with some timers and also replacing the 4kw element on the geyser we could basically have peaks of 3kw or so, right now im peaking at up to 7kw sometimes but that’s without any planning
I am currently on prepaid from Eskom , I assume you requested for the Landlight product. The per unit price is currently R5.75 so its not cheap but if you are running mostly on Solar it is manageable.
Hi I have heard from my neighbors that the unit costs on prepaid is very steep and it actually works out more expensive than getting billed but if you go solar can basically cut down the units so should work out cheaper BUT ONLY if you have solar.
if you add in the connection fees to the units used im getting charged about 5,55 per unit but it can go up the more you use so probably isnt far off the prepaid amount
The biggest advantage for going prepaid is that you get “Rewarded” for going green and saving rather than getting panelized for it.
So going to connect up batteries soon and have two options and wanted to get more opinions.
Option A I parallel the two batteries and then use one fuse disconnector for both which should be ok as both batteries already have a 125A breaker built in so I can still switch off separately if I have too.
Option B I use a disconnector for each and run separately to bus-bar.
Im using 70mm cable and will make sure lengths match which ever option I choose, they both have pro’s so let me know what you would do, Im leaning towards A as it seems like less work and I don’t need to move my octo over also leaves me with a disconnector for future batteries. But option B is probably the safest and gives more copper to busbar but is probably overkill.
