At the current moment, no.

A high-quality home battery can provide enough power to keep your lights on, refrigerator running, and other appliances operational during an outage.

In our view it is. Once you are able to store energy on a battery storage system, you will find yourself in a situation where load-shedding no longer affects you. The increased efficiency of solar energy is in itself enough reason to consider the solar battery. This is going to make a big difference both financially and in terms of comfort.

Battery prices depend upon the storage capacity. You can find out more about prices on our battery page.

Yes, you can add battery storage and Soly can provide one that is suitable for your power sys.

Soly guarantees teminly 6,000 charging cycles while providing a 15-year product warranty. One charge cycle represents the full charging and discharging of the battery.

Once the power is stored in the home battery, it can be used immediately or at a later time. There is no time limit attached to this. If you then still have a surplus of generated energy, while battery storage is maxed out, you can reinject the energy to the energy grid.

Solar panels will make us less dependent on the energy grid. About 30 to 50 percent of our power consumption, on average, comes directly from your solar system. The home battery offers numerous additional benefits, such as:

• Higher efficiency of own solar energy
• Even less dependent on the energy grid
• Less sensitive to impact of load-shedding
• Reduces home carbon footprint
• Reduced electricity bill

Do you already possess solar panels? Great job! Thanks to solar panels, your dependency on the grid reduces big time. However, once the sun goes down, you'll still be in need of energy from the traditional grid. Thanks to battery storage, your dependency on the grid is limited. You’ll be able to store the surplus of power generated from your solar panels, and use it later on.

You may not need a battery as a solar energy system can work without it. There are advantages to having solar battery backup for specific energy solutions, though not required for everyone. A backup battery is useful for when the grid is unavailable or when you want to minimise your electricity usage. For example, making use of stored solar energy can help decrease your electricity bill and your dependence on the grid itself.

• Only new and unused solar PV panels qualify, to ensure that the capacity is in addition to what the country already has in place. The panels can be installed as part of a new system, or as an extension of an existing system.
• Only solar PV panels with a minimum capacity of 275W per panel (design output) qualify for the rebate. Other components of a system – batteries, inverters, fittings or diesel generators – and installation costs do not qualify. Portable panels will also not qualify.
• Solar PV panels must be installed at a residence that is mainly used by an individual for domestic purposes. The installation will have to be proved with a certificate of compliance in terms of the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 to ensure safety of the installation and compliance to electric regulations.
• The solar PV panels must form part of a system that is connected to the mains distribution of the private residence.
• The rebate applies to qualifying solar PV panels that are brought into use for the first time in the period from 1 March 2023 to 29 February 2024.

Individuals will be able to claim a rebate to the value of 25% of the cost of new and unused solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, up to a maximum of R15 000 per individual. For example, a person buys 10 solar PV panels, at a cost of R4000 per panel (so total cost of R40 000). That person would be able to claim 25% of the cost up to R15 000, so R10 000. A different person is able to buy 20 panels at a cost of R4000 per panel (so total cost of R80 000). The calculation of 25% adds up to R20 000, but they can only claim R15 000.

Sure you can. Our solar systems can be expanded to meet higher power demand.

No, unfortunately not. Your roof needs to be stable and robust. You can check out our online tool to check out if your roof is suitable for solar panels.

If the solar panels are installed correctly, you will not have to worry about the effects of extreme weather conditions. The solar panels are built for these kinds of circumstances.

In general solar panels last at least 20 years. At Soly we provide an extended 25-year product warranty. This way you have a lot of certainty about the quality of your solar system.

The efficiency of solar panels indicates the percentage of sunlight that can be converted by the solar panel into solar energy/direct current. This figure is important because a higher return from sunlight ensures that you will have a faster return on your investment. Normally, the efficiency of solar panels is between 15 and 20 percent. With Soly, the module efficiency is higher, at 20.5 percent.

We have an online tool in which you can simply fill in your current electricity consumption per year. Based on data on your location, we will then give you a no-obligation advice on the number of solar panels, the costs, yields and payback time. This way you are fully informed about all the possibilities of solar energy.

Buying solar panels is a one-time upfront investment, while renting solar panels is a long-term agreement with monthly repayments. The initial investment of buying solar panels is quite considerable all at once, whereas with solar panels for rent, the solar panels are installed on the roof 'for free'. However in both instances after the installation of solar panels is completed you will start saving immediately.

Do you already possess solar panels? Great job! Thanks to solar panels, your dependency on the grid reduces big time. However, once the sun goes down, you'll still be in need of energy from the traditional grid. Thanks to battery storage, your dependency on the grid is limited. You’ll be able to store the surplus of power generated from your solar panels, and use it later on.

Soly mainly makes use of Jinko Solar Panels (visit product page). One panel has the capacity of 350WP (watt-peak). The average kWh (kilowatt per hour) will vary between the seasons of high and low sun peak. However, let’s say on a good day, you average 8 hours of sunlight. Multiply that by 350 watts from a solar panel =  2800 watts or roughly 3 kWh per panel per day.

Solar panels may either be reused or recycled. If reusing is not an option, then making use of the parts is the next step. The materials themselves, such as aluminium, or glass are valuable and will remain recyclable. The goal of renewable energy is to remain as sustainable as possible with little to no waste.

Solar panels are solid- state devices which are made from thin layers of semiconducting materials, mostly silicon to form solar cells. When exposed to light the solar cells generate electrical chargers which produce electricity. Several cells are placed together and covered by glass to form a panel, as a single cell alone does not generate a lot of electricity. The solar panels are then placed together on a surface where optimal light from the sun can be absorbed. Solar panels are low maintenance and are reliable pieces of equipment as they have fixed parts which do not require movement. The solar energy system does not produce any gas and there is no noise generated from this process, which makes the solar energy system an environmentally friendly energy production.

Solar energy provides significant environmental benefits when compared to traditional fossil fueled power stations, such as coal. Coal is detrimental to the environment and releases toxic substances into our air and water, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and mercury. However, solar energy is produced purely from the sun resulting in no CO2 emissions. It has a domino effect that reduces the reliance on coal, which reduces our carbon footprint and helps mitigate climate change. Solar energy also saves thousands of litres of water as opposed to conventional power stations’ high water usage.

The efficiency of solar panels indicates the percentage of sunlight that can be converted by the solar panel into solar energy/direct current. This figure is important because a higher return from sunlight ensures that you will have a faster return on your investment. Normally, the efficiency of solar panels is between 15 and 20 percent. With Soly, the module efficiency is higher, at 20.5 percent.

We have an online tool in which you can simply fill in your current electricity consumption per year. Based on data on your location, we will then give you a no-obligation advice on the number of solar panels, the costs, yields and payback time. This way you are fully informed about all the possibilities of solar energy.

Your specific geographical location contributes considerably towards solar irradiation and is important to know when designing a solar energy system. Solar irradiation is the amount of energy emitted from the sun onto the surface of the earth and it varies across latitudes. South Africa is one of the countries with the highest solar irradiation levels in the world. Optimal solar panel placement increases the efficiency of the solar energy system which allows for more energy to be absorbed and higher energy yield. Have a look at the map to see the irradiation levels of your location. Red means high, green means (relatively) low.

Your own solar energy system consists mainly of three components:

• Solar Panels mounted onto a roof or structure generates electricity when exposed to sunlight.
• From the solar panels, electricity flows into the inverter. This component will convert DC (direct current) power to AC (alternating current) power. An inverter ensures the quality and safety of the power coming out of your solar energy system and optimises the different conditions to maximise the amount of energy generated.
• If your solar panels generate more energy than you are using at that moment, the remaining energy stores in a battery (if desired).

Your business will still be connected to the electricity grid, but whenever the sun is shining or you have energy stored, you will only be using your own solar power. During power outages or load shedding, you will be self-sufficient for hours and won’t need to fall-back on a polluting, noisy diesel generator.

No. If you run into something then you can always contact us for help. Should something need to be repaired, this may be covered under the warranty.

We have warranties which guarantee the quality and efficiency of solar panels.

The South African PV GreenCard is a safety certification, a quality assurance standard, and training programme for solar PV installers.

You have several kinds of warranties. For instance: 25-year performance guarantee (manufacturer), 15-year product warranty (manufacturer) and 2 year installation warranty (Soly).

There is no maintenance needed. However, a periodic (minor) cleaning may be advisable, especially after the first few years. If something is wrong with your solar panels that falls within the warranty, we can fix it for you free of charge.

Not at Soly. We are here to help make the transition as simple as possible, no hidden costs.

In general the number of solar panels, the inverter system (series or parallel connected) and construction costs determine the price of a solar installation.

The price of a residential solar system depends on the capacity of the system. We have a convenient online tool where you can calculate the solar panel price for your home within a matter of minutes.

All roofs are different in structure, size and orientation. Ideally, the orientation of the solar panels placement in the Southern Hemisphere will need to face a Northerly direction to receive optimal energy, though if the roof structure does not allow for optimal placement of the solar panels then there are other options which are considered for the loss of efficiency, for example adding a roof mount or extra solar panels. Your roof also needs to be free from shade from trees, mountains or other buildings. Most roof structures are stable and reliable for solar installations. A structural engineer will have to look at the roof to ensure it is suitable for installment.

According to the National Treasury, individuals who pay personal income tax can claim the rebate against their tax liability. This rebate is not intended for solar installations at business premises.

You’ll become less dependent on the unstable energy grid and start saving money on electricity bills in the long run. In addition, you make a strong contribution to the worlds carbon footprint.

Not all installers offer free quotations for solar panels. However, at Soly we do offer you a free quotation. You can try requesting quotes from other installation companies as well.

While this partly depends on external factors such as the number of sunshine hours and applicable electricity prices, the payback period on residential solar panels varies between 4 and 7 years.

At Soly, we offer our residential clients Rent-to-Own solutions where you can choose the plan that best suits your budget. We also offer Financing solutions through Ooba solar financing solutions. Our solar experts are here to help you choose the best solution for your situation.