Sustainable, reliable energy in your home and in your business

We design, install and implement

C E N T U R I O N

J O H A N N E S B U R G

K O S T E R

P R E T O R I A

R U S T E N B U R G

• 52mm up to 202mm in diameter
• 40mm up to 2000mm deep
• Vertical, horizontal and slanted surfaces

Civil Construction is the creation of infrastructure involving anything to do with water, earth or transport.

It is a branch of Civil Engineering involved with the maintenance, design and construction of both natural and physically built environments such as roads, railways, buildings, water reservoirs, subdivisions, airports, bridges, sewer systems, tunnels and dams.

M I D R A N D

S E F A K O   M A K G A T H O

S T O R M V O E L

• You send us a sketch, we design it for you
• We build a mould and cast the concrete as per your design
• If required, we supply an engineers certificate
• Delivery or collection

No noise or pollution from a generator. No maintenance or fuel required.

Just abundant, replenishable solar power via the
GS Solar Power System which will be tailored to suit your individual needs.

 NOTE: The GS Solar Power Systems provide ADDITIONAL electricity. An absolute necessity during these times of  LOADSHEDDING and RISING UTILITY COSTS

How does solar power work?

Please Note: The section below is only a guideline and is very opinionated. “Horses for courses”. You would not use a racehorse for show jumping and vice versa. I hope this helps you to find the right horse for the right course.

The first question you should ask yourself before choosing a solar system.

1. What would you like your end result to be?
• Do you want to bridge load shedding?
• Do you want to save money?
• Do you want to be independent of Eskom?
2. How does a Solar Power system work?
   The short version: Solar panels convert sunshine into electricity. The way the short version works: Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells. Inside these cells is a conductive material. When the photons emitted by the sunshine on these cells during the day, it gets the electrons on the move. This friction is then converted into Direct Current (DC).
   But Direct Current (DC) cannot be used in home appliances, so it needs to be converted into Alternating Current (AC). So, an inverter is an especially important component of this process. It converts DC (12V, 24V, 48V) to AC (220V).
3. What does a Solar Power system consist of?
   The three main components are Solar panels, inverters, and batteries. We will start with these three components, but there is much more that we will deal with later.
4. What is the difference between the types of solar panels?
   Currently, two main types of solar panels are used in South Africa. The main difference between them is the type of silicon and how the silicon is used. Polycrystalline (blue) panels have lower efficiency rates, typically in the 13-16% range. Monocrystalline (black) panels have higher efficiencies in the 15 - 20% range. The warranties are pretty much the same on Mono and Poly ± 25 Years. Monocrystalline solar panels tend to have better heat tolerance than polycrystalline panels and cost a little bit more.
    
   
5. What is the difference between the fabrication makes of solar panels?
   Just like washing machines and power tools, you get good ones and bad ones that you will want to stick your finger in your eye. The bad ones will delaminate within a year, and the good ones should last you 25 years plus. Stay away from the cheap and nasty Chinese models. There is a standard out there, like the SABS (South African Bureau of Standards), and it is called the Tier Standard and was created in Europe. Below is a list of Tier One approved panels.
• Canadian Solar
• JR Solar
• Jinko Solar
• Trina Solar
• Longi Solar
• LG Solar
6. Do solar panels need cleaning?
   Yes. For a maximum output from solar panels, they must be kept clean of bird poop, dirt and dust. Dirty panels can be up to 25% less efficient.
7. How long will my solar panels last?
   It is important to note that all solar panels degrade with time — usually about 0.5% yearly. This is why manufacturers only guarantee 80% performance or higher after 25 years.
8. What type of inverter do I need?
   Depending on your requirements and application, there are three types. The inverter is the brain of the operation.
   • Off-grid - (No backup from Eskom, totally off the grid)
   • Hybrid - (Eskom and solar power combined)
   • Grid-tied - (Connected to Eskom, when Eskom is off, you are off)
9. What is the best-recommended inverter?
   Once again, depending on your requirements and application. The Horses for courses thing. In the inverter range, you basically get transformer-based inverters and Voltronic inverters. The difference between the two is a whole debate by itself. For me, it is like comparing a surfboard to a bicycle. They can both transport you from one point to another, but that is where the similarities stop. Voltronic (Axpert, Mecer, Kodak, etc.) inverters are not recommended for hybrid applications but are well-priced for off-grid applications.
   Below is a short list of good Hybrid / Off-grid type inverters.
   • Victron
   • Sun Synk
   • Solis
   • Goodwe
   • Studer
   • Alpha Ess
   • Lux power
   Below is a bar chart that looks at price, reliability, functionality, installation and aftersales support of some of the inverters:
   
10. What size inverter do I need?
    Step 1: Take your average monthly electricity bill amount and divide that by 2.2 (the average price per kW) Eg.:
    Monthly Bill R 2,000.00 / Average Price Per kW R2.20 = Monthly Usage in Kw 909.090kW
    Step 2: Take your monthly usage in kW and divide that by 30 (days in a month) Monthly Usage in Kw 909.090kW / Days in a Month 30 = Daily Usage in kW 30.303kW
    Step 3: Take your daily usage and divide it by 6 – the hours in the day that your solar panels produce the most electricity. Daily Usage in kW 30.303kW / Max Production Hours 6 = Production Needs 5.050kW
    You will need at least a 5kW inverter.
11. How many solar panels do I need?
    Let us take the example of the above 5kW inverter.
12. What type of batteries do you get?
    There are three types depending on what you are willing to spend and how long you want them to last.
    Post Script: There are gel batteries also, but they are not worth mentioning here unless you live on a boat.
    • Lead acid - Most affordable, take a long to charge and could last you 3 to 5 years.
    • Lead carbon is a little pricier, takes too long to charge, and could last 5 to 7 years.
    • Lithium - Most expensive, charge very quickly and could last you 10 to 15 years.
13. What are Battery Cycles?
    The solar battery’s cycles indicate how long it will last, based on how many times you charge and discharge it. One cycle is one full charge and discharge.
14. What is DoD (Depth of Discharge)?
    DoD (Depth of Discharge) tells you how much of your battery’s capacity is usable. In Lithium-ion Batteries, the DoD is between 80% and 100%. In lead acid, it is between 40% and 50%. Meaning you should not discharge more than the DoD % to avoid any damage or premature system degradation.
15. What size battery am I going to need?
    Step 1: Add the power ratings of all the appliances you want to run off your solar battery bank.
    Step 2: You must work out how much time you typically use these appliances.
    Step 3: Decide when you will be using your battery. Load shedding, when there is no sun to power your panels, or both.
16. What is the C-Rating of batteries?
    If you have been browsing the Lithium-ion Batteries for sale online, you may have noticed some C-ratings. Like 0.5C, 1C, 2C etc. The C-rating relates to how much of the battery’s capacity can be discharged and how long it will last at that rate.
    Example based on a 100Ah battery:
    
    • 0.5C – 50A for 2 hours
    • 1C – 100A for 1 hour
    • 2C – 200A for 30 minutes
    Ratings of 1.5 - 2C are very good at handling power spikes from appliances such as kettles, microwaves etc.
17. Are there different lithium batteries?
    Yes:
    
    • Lithium Iron Phosphate
    • Lithium Cobalt Oxide
    • Lithium Manganese Oxide
    • Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide
    • Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide
    • Lithium Titanate
    • Lithium Iron Phosphate
18. Which lithium battery is best for solar?
    Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4).
    One of the most important advantages LiFePO4 has over other battery types is safety. LiFePO4 is the safest lithium battery type as it will not overheat, and even if punctured, it will not catch on fire. It poses no negative health hazards or environmental hazards.
19. What are the recommended battery brands?
    Buy local brands if you can afford them; technical and customer support is much better than international brands. The first four are considered local (depending on where you stay):
• Blue Nova
• IG3EN
• LBSA
• Freedom won
• Shoto
• Pylontech
• Revov
• Deyness
20. Will solar power save me money?
    The short answer is: YES.
    It will cost you a lot of money now, but at some stage, you will break even, and after that, you will start saving money.
    For example, your current electricity cost is R2,000.00 per month over ten years, and you will pay R240,000.00 (no escalation on tariffs included). If you spend that amount now upfront, you could have free electricity after year ten. The added benefit for South Africans is that you will have electric power when there is load shedding, cable theft, transformer blow out, etc.
    
21. Does it improve the value of my house?
    It most certainly does. We advertise solar power with the house extras, and potential home buyers increasingly request it. If solar power is already in place and it eliminates the hassle of a home buyer having to worry about installing one themselves, they will be more inclined to consider purchasing your home over another seriously.
22. If solar power is so great, why don’t more people use it?
    My favoured question. It is probably one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa now. The primary factor is Cost (I will deal with cost in the next question). The second factor is the unknown. People know Eskom, and know what they can expect.
    There is a big unknown with solar. Thirty years ago, Toyota was known as Jap-scrap. Today it is one of the best vehicles around. People also do not know that solar systems can also be modular. You can buy and add to your system every two or three months - just like Lego. When you buy a solar system, you purchase your little power plant.
23. Will Solar Power Get Cheaper?
    Over the last ten years solar power prices have been steadily declining. I paid three times the price five years ago for what I can get it now. Over the past year prices have remained steady but will start increasing again to huge demands. The best time to buy is now!
24. Do I need a certified electrician to sign off?
    c No, but it will become law. If you want to sleep at night and not wonder if your house is going to burn down, I recommend you get an electrician to do the job. Plus, insurance companies will not pay out if a CoC (Certificate of Compliance) for the solar system was not issued.
25. What else do I need?
    The important stuff like
    • DC fuses
    • Surge arrestors
    • Battery fuses
    • Proper earthing
26. Can solar panels be installed on my roof?
    Yes, we can install solar panels on any type of roof. Flat, corrugated, IBR, clip-lock, and tile roof.
    
    Solar panels on a flat roof with specialised roof mounting structures
27. How much will a solar power system really cost you in relation to electricity cost?
    

    Electricity expenditure in rands per month	System size	Approximate cost excluding VAT
    Below R1 000	2kW	R75 000
    Between R1 000 and R2 000	3kW	R110 000
    Between R2 000 and R3 000	5kW	R150 000
    Between R3 000 and R4 000	8kW	R200 000
    Over R5 000	10kW	R250 000

GS Projects CC
1999/040578/23

Director: Laurens Olivier

+27-82-467-1220

PO Box 698
Derdepoort Park
0035 Pretoria

info@gspro.co.za