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South Africans keen on detaching from the national power grid now have a significantly lighter financial load to lift, as the costs for installing an off-grid solar power system have taken a dip. In a remarkable development reported in July 2024, the expenses one would incur to equip a South African home with a solar system capable of complete grid independence ranges from R143,000 to R381,000. This marks a substantial decline from figures quoted earlier in the year and paints a hopeful picture for renewable energy adoption in the country.
This downturn in costs is against the backdrop of improved power stability, with load-shedding occurrences sharply decreasing in the first half of 2024. Despite this positive shift, Eskom's future electricity tariff adjustments loom on the horizon, likely to rekindle the public's interest in sustainable, off-grid solutions.
Solar Advice's dynamic configurator was used as a platform to gauge the investments needed for different households, considering their typical electricity usage patterns. System configurations considered include a 10kW inverter output for smaller homes and 15kW for larger ones, coupled with solar panel arrays sized at an "oversize factor" of 2.5 times the typical requirement. This is to ensure battery charging is maximized even during unfavorable weather conditions. The battery storage calculations followed the same oversizing principle, prepared to cater to night-time energy consumption, usually estimated at 60% of a day's use.
A direct price comparison indicates the price shift is not negligible - with the entry-level system experiencing a drop of nearly 20% or R45,756. The significant variance also holds true for higher-end setups, with a current price tag of R380,993, about 28% less than the price reported earlier.
One elucidated downside of a fully off-grid system is the lost opportunity to earn from feed-in credits, which are available in certain municipalities like the City of Cape Town. Such credits allow households to feed excess electricity generated back into the grid in exchange for monetary compensation - a feature not applicable when disconnected from the power network.
Alternatives such as integrating fuel-powered generators were discussed to provide a less costly initial investment. While they could lower upfront costs substantially, the operating expenses, noise, and maintenance demands are drawbacks that need consideration.
Despite these factors, the recent drop in prices represents a striking allure for South African homeowners contemplating energy independence. As renewable energy technologies continue to improve and their associated costs decrease, the transition to off-grid solutions is likely to accelerate, providing hope for a more sustainable and resilient energy future.