Had a bad day already … I just let it be, can go down to 20% SOC, who cares.
Monday I can maybe decide to have another “battery charge day” instead of a “shower day”.
The family was SO upset this past week … I looked at them as if THEY were silly. 
… they got the message in the end.
When there is power 
Two days ago we had a very wet day and my battery was at about 50% at sunset so I decided to run the generator and got the battery to 80% within a hour or two. During that time my neighbors were also running their generators because of load shedding, so you cant count on Eskom.
I still haven’t put up my extra 12 panels that are sitting in the garage but I really believe that when they are up I will almost never need the generator.
In CoCT, we can. 
The big picture I look at, if CoCT fails, the IPP’s don’t come online as planned, then we are properly fooked in SA.
And IF the IPPs do come online in CoCT, then I don’t want a over-capitalized system in place.
Ah sorry I forgot, plus you have the mountain 
793 watts from a 6400 watt array at 1:45 in the afternoon, today in Cape Town, quite cloudy
178w from 4.2kw array … you cannot plan for this, just have to roll with it. 
That’s what BatteryLife does, btw. Adjusts the active minsoc so that your battery always reaches 95% or more every few days. Charging that last 5% with grid power is something I also do sometimes
A penny dropped this morning.
Victron = LS AND because of the 250/100, find 3 more panels, as has been suggested by a few, the lowest-hanging fruit.
3 x Panels and like R2800 + parts for connecting them, there is space and combiner box has a spare “port”.
IF I still need more power for the geyserS, just get a Solis grid-tied inverter.
Already cover our base needs, why spend more capital to cover the last %, an expense I may never recoup?
This past weekend was another “warning” that one can never have “enough” panels.
Sit back, breathe deeply, and switch more stuff off … it is cheaper than more panels.
The most difficult thing to do, switch off loads…… Switching off has a very low wife acceptance factor
Yeah … got me arse handed to me on a plate in spades, with free condiments, this weekend re. the geyser not being scalding hot.
One can make arrangements … but no one ‘listens’.
That sounds familiar, like my wife asking how I dared switch off the bedroom aircon last night, after the batteries dropped an extra 20%. Sometimes it is just easier to keep quiet and let Eskom pick up the extra few units in the morning.
So when it is raining, the clothes go into the tumble dryer ( 3 kWh) and when I complain, am told, go to the other room, stop whining McScrooge.
There is a counter side to this argument,
My set-up serves a hospitality business, it used 200kWh p/day.
It uses less now, I am not really sure how much less, but not a lot less.
However, there is no option of telling a guest to curtail their reasonable power usage.
So it becomes a valid point of contention as to why should the people who are nearest and dearest to you do without?
I only made 60kWh today-- a bad day.
Yes, it does BUT paying customers vs nearest and dearest, there is a chasm.
The person who pays is the one who takes careful cognizance of the spending, measures the ROI they envisaged, that after careful and detailed deliberations with all parties involved.
I’m always asked, can we use the dryer? Even emergency use.
Note, I’ve given them all access to the system so that they can plan their own schedules.
Thing is, they don’t want to make THAT effort to plan when is the right time to use the dryer/dishwasher.
Fact: Society cannot optimally function without some checks and balances, neither can a family unit.
Me, Mr Scrooge no2, my response to being called out: You know how to buy PAYG electricity? Go ahead, knock yourself out.
… it changes perspectives in an instant.
Mmmmh. This reminds me in many ways of seeing ladies complain (on social media) that their husbands aren’t… uuhhhm… interested, and they drink too much and pee on the floor and leave their towels everywhere and don’t help in the house, etc etc. And then I’m like, I’m none of those things AND I let people use as much electricity as they want… can I get a noddy badge or something!?
If my post reminded you of “complaining”, I think you missed the crux. 
NAaah, I mean I listen to the stuff other husbands do wrong… and I kinda think: The good guys should get some credit, yes? Do we, or do the ladies still complain because you didn’t put that one decorative pillow in the right place, or left one beard bristle in the sink…
Do not get me started on decorative pillows. I want to burn them all, they are uncomfortable and annoying. Except some new ones we had made. They were a little more expensive, not much, but they are really comfortable and I actually seek them out.
But it feels like @TheTerribleTriplet can never have enough batteries or panels, my wife can’t have enough scatter cushions.
This is all very reasonable and logical.
Now go and live off a diet of hot tongue and cold bum until it isn’t.