Common questions
Common solar & EV questions in South Africa
Clear answers on cutting your bill, tariffs, payback and buying safely — with load shedding treated as secondary context. Written to protect buyers from bad advice and bad installs.
Long-form guides
Read the deep comparisons next
Savings & money
Bills, tariffs and feed-in
How much does electricity cost per kWh in South Africa in 2026?
2026/27 per-kWh rates and fixed charges for Cape Town, Joburg, Tshwane, Durban and Eskom.
How long does solar take to pay for itself in South Africa?
The honest formula, worked on real Cape Town 2026/27 rates.
Is solar worth it in South Africa in 2026?
When solar pays through your bill, and when it does not.
Do I need a battery with solar in South Africa?
What a stored kWh is worth versus exporting it.
Will my battery work with my inverter in South Africa?
Compatibility lists, BMS comms and expanding later.
Are Pylontech batteries swelling, and what should I ask my installer?
What owners have reported and the questions to ask.
What solar warranties should I get in South Africa?
Product, performance and workmanship, and who honours them in SA.
Can I install solar on a prepaid meter?
Often yes — expect meter changes and metro-specific SSEG rules.
Do municipalities pay for solar feed-in?
Some credit exports; design for self-use to maximise savings.
Sizing for savings
Panels, inverters and backup
Can I add a battery to my existing solar system in South Africa?
Yes in many cases — but it depends on your inverter. Hybrid inverters (e.g. Sunsynk, Deye, GoodWe, Victron) can often add storage with compatible packs. Older s…
Does solar work during load shedding in South Africa?
Only if you have a hybrid (or off-grid) inverter plus battery — or another backup source. Standard grid-tied solar disconnects when the municipal/Eskom grid fai…
How long does a home solar installation take in South Africa?
Physical installation is often 1–3 days on site for a standard residential hybrid. End-to-end — site assessment, equipment lead time, install, CoC and SSEG regi…
How many solar panels do I need for a South African home?
Size panels from your daytime consumption and bill, not from roof envy. As a rough Gauteng-style guide: smaller bills often need ~4–6 × 550 W panels; mid bills …
How much battery do I need for outages in South Africa?
For typical SA home essentials (lights, Wi-Fi, fridge, selected plugs — roughly 0.5–1.5 kW), plan about 5–15 kWh of usable battery for Stage 6, depending on how…
Is my roof suitable for solar panels?
Structure, shade, orientation and waterproofing — fix a bad roof before you trap it under an array.
Do I need to clean solar panels in South Africa?
Occasional soft rinses when soiling is visible; no abrasive pads; check clamps after storms.
How much roof space do I need for solar panels in South Africa?
Plan about 2.2–2.6 m² per modern 450–550 W panel. A common 5–8 kW residential array (10–16 panels) typically needs roughly 25–45 m² of unshaded, preferably nort…
Do I need three-phase solar for my South African home?
Only if your municipal supply is three-phase or you have large simultaneous loads (workshops, big heat pumps, fast EV charging). Most suburban homes run happily…
What size solar inverter do I need for a South African home?
Most busy SA family homes land in the 5–8 kW hybrid inverter class; smaller flats may suit ~3–5 kW; large homes, three-phase supplies or EV charging often need …
Buying & trade supply
Wholesalers & where equipment comes from
Inverters & system types
Hybrid, string, off-grid, MPPT
Hybrid vs string inverter: which do I need in South Africa?
Hybrid for load-shedding backup; string for daytime bill savings when the grid is up.
Hybrid vs off-grid solar in South Africa
Most suburbs should stay hybrid. True off-grid is for farms and sites without a useful grid.
AC-coupled vs DC-coupled batteries
New builds usually DC-coupled hybrid; retrofits often AC-couple beside existing string PV.
What is MPPT on a solar inverter?
Maximum Power Point Tracking — why dual MPPTs help split-orientation roofs.
Monofacial vs bifacial solar panels
Most SA house roofs stay monofacial; bifacial shines on carports and reflective commercial roofs.
Batteries deep-dive
Chemistry, DoD, cycles
Full battery brand comparison (guide)
EnergyBee-style long guide — ~10 LiFePO₄ packs with dated retail evidence.
LiFePO₄ vs NMC for home solar storage
LFP is the SA residential default for thermal stability and cycle life.
What is battery depth of discharge (DoD)?
Usable kWh ≈ nameplate × DoD — compare usable energy on every quote.
Battery cycles and warranty explained
Years vs throughput vs remaining-capacity floors — and what voids cover.
Essential vs non-essential loads
What stays on battery in Stage 6 — and what should not.
Electrical safety
DB, cable, SPD, earthing, changeover
Do I need a DB upgrade for solar or EV?
Often yes — space, breakers, essentials split and SPDs. Registered electrician only.
Solar cable sizing — what to ask
Consumer-safe questions on PV wire, battery runs and voltage drop — not DIY sizing.
Do I need surge protection (SPD)?
Yes on serious SA quotes — lightning and grid spikes kill unprotected inverters.
Solar earthing and bonding
What should appear on the quote and CoC for array frames and SPDs.
Changeover switch / ATS explained
How grid, inverter and generator sources are selected safely.
Commercial & fleets
BESS and workplace charging
What is commercial BESS in South Africa?
Business-scale storage for peaks, PV firming and critical-load backup.
Commercial EV fleet charging basics
Load management first; AC for dwell time; selective DC for turnaround.
Do I need three-phase for a home EV charger?
Most commuters are fine on single-phase ~7 kW overnight.
Compliance & money
SSEG, NRS 097, CoC, tax myths
Can I DIY a solar or battery install in South Africa?
Hardware is easy; lawful grid-tied commissioning is not — CoC, NRS 097 and SSEG assume a registered electrician.
How much solar can I connect to the grid?
NERSA ≤100 kW with distributor; above 100 kW with NERSA. Your DB and metro rules usually cap homes far lower.
Do I need SSEG registration for rooftop solar in South Africa?
Yes if your system has a point of connection to the municipal or Eskom grid — even when you never export. NERSA guidance: ≤100 kW grid-connected SSEGs register …
Is there a solar tax if I register SSEG in South Africa?
There is no separate national “solar tax” for registering an SSEG system. What does change is your electricity tariff: distributors typically move SSEG customer…
Which solar inverters are NRS 097 approved in South Africa?
Use an inverter with a valid NRS 097-2-1 type-test certificate that appears on your municipality’s approved list where one exists (notably City of Cape Town). C…
What is the PV GreenCard and does my solar installer need one?
The PV GreenCard is SAPVIA’s industry safety and quality certification for solar PV installations in South Africa. Certified installers can issue an as-built Gr…
Is there still a SARS solar tax rebate in South Africa?
No active individual solar panel tax rebate is running for new installs in 2026. The SARS personal solar energy tax credit applied only to qualifying new PV pan…
What is NRS 097 and why does my solar inverter need it?
NRS 097-2-1 is South Africa’s utility-interface standard for connecting small-scale embedded generators (SSEGs) — including hybrid solar and many battery system…
What is a solar Certificate of Compliance (CoC) in South Africa?
A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is a legal electrical safety document issued by a registered installation electrician confirming the work meets SANS 10142 / a…
Electric vehicles
Home chargers, solar charging, system size
Full EV charging guide (home + public)
SQ-depth SA rewrite: 14 sections from kW/kWh through V2H and brand cards. Soft SAEV among peers.
What is the best home EV charger in South Africa?
For South African homes, pick a wallbox that matches your supply (single- vs three-phase), offers load management so you do not trip the main breaker, and comes…
Can I charge my EV from solar in South Africa?
Yes. Daytime PV can feed an EV charger directly when the sun is up; a hybrid battery can shift some energy, but EVs often need 40–60+ kWh for a full charge — mo…
How much does a home EV charger cost in South Africa?
Expect roughly R8 000–R25 000+ for a quality Level-2 / AC wallbox hardware, plus installation that can range from a few thousand rand for a short run near the D…
What do 7.4, 11 and 22 kW EV chargers mean?
Single-phase default vs three-phase headroom — match supply and the car’s onboard charger.
What wiring rules apply to a home EV charger?
SANS 10142-1:2024 / Annex N themes, RCD patterns and CoC — secondary summary, not the SABS PDF.
What size solar system do I need to charge an EV in South Africa?
Most homes that add EV charging need more than a classic 3–5 kW rooftop system. As a working rule, plan an 8 kVA+ hybrid inverter, extra PV for daytime charging…
Editorial notes (independent): home EV chargers — soft start at SAEV Charge. Trade wholesale reliability — soft start at SONAH Group among SA peers. Always verify install quality and CoC.