Loadshedding Solutions in Durban
South Africa gets plenty of sunshine throughout the year, but along with that, residents have had to get used to regular power cuts, better known as loadshedding. These outages affect just about everyone, from homes and schools to businesses and factories, which is why having a reliable backup power system has become so important. The problem isn’t only the inconvenience of sitting in the dark for a few hours. Loadshedding can seriously disrupt productivity, slow down manufacturing, and increase costs for businesses. That’s why more and more people are looking for smart, reliable ways to keep the lights on when the grid goes down.
A built-in battery backup and inverter system is one of the most effective solutions to combat this problem and provide you with a reliable energy supply. Unlike small portable UPS units or noisy generators that have you have to ensure have adequate fuel, these solar powered systems are seamlessly integrated into your property, automatically providing power when the grid goes down. By combining modern lithium-ion batteries with a high-quality inverter – you can keep your home or business running regardless of Eskom’s loadshedding schedule.
Good loadshedding solution should meet the following criteria:
• Power essential household appliances – A quality solar powered system should keep your most important devices running during power outages.
• Support business operations – For companies, having some form of backup power provides far wider benefits then just added convenience. A well-designed solar system should provide enough electricity to keep core machinery and critical equipment running so that productivity does not come to a halt.
• Be reliable, durable and well supported – The right loadshedding solution should be built to last, backup by a solid warranty so that you are covered for particular issues and supported by a trusted solar energy installation company with qualified technicians and local knowledge of the market who can provide fast, reliable assistance when required.
Key Components: What Makes Up a Robust System
• Battery Storage – This is the storage unit which holds the excess energy generated by your solar panels. Majority of the battery storage system that Eagle Eye Solar installs are lithium-ion battery due to the longer lifespan and higher round trip life cycle efficiency.
• Inverter – Converts direct power (DC) power stored in batteries into usable AC power to power your lights, appliances and equipment around your home or business.
• Solar Panels – These are one of the most essential parts of your system as without the panels you won’t have any way to generate or capture this energy in the first place. These are normally placed on your rooftop as they sit out the way from walking areas around your garden or commercial premises and capture the suns ray during the day.
How It Works – From Sunlight to Backup Power
Although the technology the forms part of a solar energy system can becomes quite complex, the way it works is actually quite straightforward. Below we have outlined a simple breakdown of what happens behinds the scenes to help you generate clean renewable energy:
• Energy Collection – Solar panels capture the suns energy during the day and help to convert this into useable electricity around your home or business. This energy is fed back into your system, ensuring your batteries are always charged and ready to provide reliable battery backup power when loadshedding strikes or the grid fails.
• Storage – The electricity produced by your solar panels is stored in a battery backup, which acts like a reserve tank of power. An important consideration for clients is the size of the battery system as this will determine how long your backup power will last.
• Conversion – The power stored in your solar batteries is in direct current (DC) form, which isn’t the right format that your appliances use. This is why it’s crucial to have an inverter as it converts the DC power into alternating current (AC) which is the same type of electricity that your home or business draws from the national Eskom grid.
• Switchover – When loadshedding hits, you don’t have to worry anymore about trying to find where you placed your candles or run outside and turn on your generator. The system will automatically switch over to solar generated power stored in your batteries within seconds, so everything can carry on like normal.
• Management – To keep everything operating smoothly, a charge controller and inverter constantly monitor the flow of electricity. This helps prevent your batteries from being overcharged or drained to far below certain limits. This built-in intelligence makes modern solar battery systems much more reliable than older solutions.
How Do Solar Battery Backup Systems Work?
A solar battery backup systems provides you with energy independence during loadshedding. This process work through your solar panels generating electricity during the day which is initially used to power your home or business. Any excess energy is directly stored in a battery storage system. When loadshedding hits again – the system will automatically draw electricity from the battery bank to ensure an uninterrupted supply of power. This process involves three key components which are the battery storage system, the inverter, solar panels and a charge controller to help protect the batteries from being overcharged or drained. Together these components create a closed loop of energy collection, storage and usage.
How Long Can a Battery Backup System Power Your Home or Business?
The backup during of a solar battery system can depend on a few important factors such as the size of the battery bank, the energy demands of your household or business which is heavily influenced by the types of appliances that you want to power and lastly how efficiently your system manages energy usage. For example – a modestly sized three- or four-bedroom household may be able to receive enough power for a few hours which is often sufficient to run essential appliances such as lights, Wi-Fi etc… Larger systems, particularly those installed at commercial facilities, can often sustain operation for a longer period of time, but this ultimately depends on what you trying to run on the back of battery storage. It’s also important to remember that battery banks are rechargeable from the grid – meaning that when grid power is feeding into your property, the batteries start charging automatically. To get the most out of your system, it’s important for residents to choose the size of their system strategically – whilst balancing the cost of installation and energy independence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can we prepare for loadshedding?
The key to preparation is about reducing the disruption before the power actually goes off. Start by keeping a reliable loadshedding schedule or notification system on your phone or other mobile device so you can get alerted when loadshedding is about to hit. On the larger scale, installing a solar battery backup system is the most efficient way to prepared, but even other simple steps like switching to gas for cooking can help to lower the impact that power cuts will have as these appliances can often draw lots of energy from your battery.
What is the best solution for loadshedding?
There is often not a one size fits all approach – but rather the best solution depends on your current and future energy needs, but solar energy generation combined with battery storage is often a very effective option for South African homes and businesses. Unlike generators, a solar energy system does not rely on fuel costs and the hassle of ensuring that you always have a full tank before loadshedding strikes again. For households, this might mean installing a modest system that can help keep essential appliances running so they you not sitting in the dark with no internet connectivity. Whilst for businesses this often means a larger, custom designed installation that support critical operations. Importantly, the best solution is one that balances the upfront investment costs with long term savings and provides that added peace of mind knowing that you are protected from grid instability.