Professional Solar System Projects

04/08/2016

IS SOLAR AND/OR BACKUP POWER RIGHT FOR YOU?

You want to continue to power your home and/or business during power failures.
You want to protect sensitive and expensive equipment from dips,

IS SOLAR AND/OR BACKUP POWER RIGHT FOR YOU?

You want to continue to power your home and/or business during power failures.
You want to protect sensitive and expensive equipment from dips, surges and unexpected power cuts.
You want to reduce your electricity bill every month.
You want to become less reliant on your local utility for your power supply.
You live in an area where there is no access to a public electrical grid.
You are concerned about the environment and want to minimise your carbon footprint.

There are a number of different options available to you:

PROFESSIONAL BACKUP SYSTEM
A pure sine-wave inverter-charger and battery bank provide backup power when the mains fail. No solar components are involved in this particular configuration, but with Professional Solar back-up systems this can be added. Professional backup systems are virtually silent and maintenance free. They can be installed practically anywhere in a house, typically in your garage or under a staircase. This backup system can also be wired into your DB Board and is fully automatic. The system will instantly switch over to battery power if the utility power is interrupted and will automatically change back when your utility power is restored. The battery charging is electronically controlled and keeps the battery fully charged for emergencies. No human intervention is necessary.

OFF-GRID SOLAR SYSTEM
Professional Solar Systems offers a wide range of solutions for situations where mains power is not available, or the client wishes to become completely independent of the grid. All power is generated by the solar panels; a battery bank stores excess power for use at night or when the sun is not shining.

GRID-TIE SOLAR SYSTEM
Solar panels convert solar energy into AC power during the day; at night, power is drawn from the mains. There is no battery bank or power storage facility in this configuration. In countries where net metering is legal, all excess power generated by the solar panels is returned to the grid.

HYBRID SOLAR SYSTEM
Installing a battery storage system (also known as hybrid solar power) will enable your grid connected solar power system to provide electricity to your home 24 hours a day via a suitably sized battery storage bank. Your home will still be connected to the electricity grid, which means you will be able to draw power from the grid in times of high demand and/or low solar yield.

SOLAR ENERGY OFFERS INCREDIBLE RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Based on a grid-tie system which comprises solar panels, inverter(s), cabling, mounting and installation. Based on an investment of R250 000. Taken over a 5-Year period.

Installing a 5kW solar system will save you a total of R2, 470, 494 in electricity over the next 25 years.

* Calculations based on a grid-tie system, which comprises of Solar panels, inverter(s), cabling, mounting and installation.

Assumptions include

1) Eskom increase of 15% Yr 1 & 2, 13% Yr 3 and 10% per annum thereafter.
2) Electricity price of R1.74/kWh.
3) 6.2 Hours of sunlight per day.

03/05/2016

Still relevant

03/05/2016

03/05/2016

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/29/worlds-biggest-floating-solar-farm-power-up-outside-london?platform=hootsuite

Five years in planning and due to be finished in early March, more than 23,000 solar panels will be floated on the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir near Heathrow and used to generate power for local water treatment plants

01/02/2016

There are green solutions for business
Our current energy crisis has got us thinking about alternatives, but that should not be the only factor that drives us to do the right thing….
Professional Solar Systems offers a plan for the procurement of energy saving equipment solutions to qualifying corporate applicants utilizing Operating Expenditure Budgets.
Green Solutions Finance includes.
• Long term generator rentals
• Lighting equipment replacement
• Solar panel installation
• Mill rejuvenation
• Industrial Machinery upgrades
• Fuel switch
• Heat Pump installation
• HVAC system optimisation/replacement
• Installation of operational timing equipment – Intelligent buildings
• Evaporative Coolers
Who are we targeting?
1. Businesses / Private Premises which own their own properties with...

2. Large roof space e.g. warehouses

3. Carports

4. Tenants

5. Vacant land

Clients with predictable electricity requirements e.g. desk-bound workforce, whereby energy demand profile may align with solar-PV generation profile.

Contact us and see how Professional Solar Systems can assist your business with a green finance solution tailored to your requirements.

What’s required?

• Schedule of goods to be financed
• Fully completed Application Form
• Up to Date, signed Annual Financial Statements
• Management accounts if financials older than 6 months
• 3 months complete set of bank statements from operating account
• Copy of ID's of all shareholders
• Cancelled Letterhead
• Cancelled Cheque
• Any other pertinent information which you believe will assist us. i.e. Website addresses, contracts awarded etc.

31/01/2016

Professional Solar Systems – Making Sense for Businesses to go Solar

Even though here in South Africa Eskom in trying to protect their own income, have as of yet not allowed any businesses or home owners to sell electricity back into the grid.

The closest so far is a meter that reads both ways and saves money in that a certain amount of electricity is not charged to an account.

This has to change as soon as there is a loud enough voice for consumers to change Eskom’s attitude towards their customers.
As of now the government has it written in law that businesses can depreciate the renewable investments of 50:30:20.

This leaves a way for businesses to get back from SARS a cash flow advantage when dealing with renewable energy projects.
When it comes to Renewable Solar Energy loans, there are a lot of companies who can help in more ways than one.

If this is needed Professional Solar System Projects has loans available for any client.

Usage of intelligent ways to get around what you use in electricity will also help in saving more when installing renewable Energy.
These intelligent ways could include anything from better storage solutions, timer functions, when to run your appliances (during the day), making use of GAS.

Surveys around the world show that buyers of housing or renting of offices looked at and asked about renewable energy installations.

No matter what, renewable energy is still a good investment. Both for the household / business and Mother Nature. The prices of solar systems have fallen and are more affordable compared to five years ago.
Cars are compared to solar systems, remembering that cars are no investments. A car is something that is needed; due to the distances that South African’s have to travel. While a Solar System is an investment. Something that saves money.
Driving Solar Systems as well is the urgency now shown to climate change.

Solar systems will save you money, add value to houses / businesses and do good for the environment.

A crucial question all customers should ask concerns the payback period for Solar Systems and energy storage systems. This depends on many variables such the price of the PV system, the storage technology cost, the installation costs, the existence and size of the FITs (Feed-in Tariff if any) and whether the customer uses other energy management devices.

Professional Solar Systems will optimize clients systems so that it satisfies the purpose required.

A cost analysis will be done with the client regarding the investment / payback time period to show where they stand.

19/01/2016

Professional Solar System Projects

Here South Africa gets hit again. Not only is it a really bad time for the rand, but Eskom does not believe South African’s are struggling enough.

Eskom have proposed another price increase to NERSA sitting at a whopping 17%. This price increase if approved will take place end of February which is just around the corner. Just in time for Super Rugby. Take into account we just had a 8% just the other day.

Quoting a fin24.com article posted online last year from previous increases:

If Eskom’s application was approved, this would result in “a staggering 22.27% increase in bulk electricity tariffs in just one financial year (2015), which the city will have no option but to pass on to our own customers”.
“The size of the proposed increase may be unaffordable to many of our electricity customers, particularly the residential users,” the city said.

Meanwhile Standard & Poor's (S&P) has downgraded Eskom's long-term credit rating to junk last year.

While South Africa waits for Eskom to get it right, most families of 4 – 5 people are paying a small fortune a month to Eskom. Even luxury cars on Hire Purchase are getting cheaper than the monthly bill.

A reminder below:

IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE?

Sure the initial cost is expensive, but South Africans live in a world that people buy a R500,000 car (over 5 years) which we all know is not an investment, but quibble about a R300,000 solar system which is an investment.

A couple of things have to be remembered, batteries are the only equipment that has a life shelve of 5 years when it comes to Solar. But over 5 years the investment still makes perfect sense.
Of course when Eskom and the municipalities of South Africa eventually come to the party, South African’s would be paid for putting electricity back into the grid.

Sure if off grid, it takes an adjustment to realize that you can no longer waste electricity, remembering that you now have a supply which has to be replenished daily using your home system.

The good thing is that once installed the system starts producing as soon as you add sun.

South Africa is blessed with enough sun to do Solar Systems, and the world recognizes South Africa as one of the best places to have these systems in place.

Contact
Crispin H Robinson 0826500411 [email protected]

08/12/2015

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you supply Solar Geysers for water heating?

No. Our systems generate electrical power from making use of Solar Photovoltaic panels. Solar water heating uses heat whilst Solar PV uses light.

2. What happens at night?

Solar PV generates power from the solar irradiation that the sun provides. The brighter the sun, the more electricity is generated. At night no power is generated. Should you require energy at night you could either use it from the utility grid, or we could supply you with a battery system that would store energy generated during the day for use at night.

3. What happens when it rains for days on end?

In cloudy and rainy conditions Solar PV panels generate less power. Your reliance on the utility grid or storage (like batteries) would be greater during these times. Should you have a battery bank, the grid could be used to “top-up” the batteries during the period of inclement weather.

4. What does it cost?

Commercial Rooftop systems generally cost around ZAR 20.00 per Wp. Ground Mounted Commercial systems generally cost around ZAR 25.00 per Wp. Due to the customised nature thereof, Residential systems vary in price from ZAR20.00 to ZAR 60.00 per Wp depending on the needs of the specific client.

5. What is Wp or kWp?

Watt peak or kilowatt peak refers to the rated maximum power output of a Solar PV module. A 300Wp module would therefore produce 300 Watts of electrical power at the optimal condition.

6. What equipment can I power from the system?

Any equipment that uses electricity to operate can be powered from a Solar PV system. The design of the system would however vary according to the type of equipment that needs to be powered. As an example an off-grid system with a highly inductive load would require a larger system than an on-grid system with no inductive loads. Design remains the key to have an efficient system.

7. What is meant by an “off-grid” system?

This is an electrical system that operates independently from the utility grid. It generates and distributes its own power from Solar PV or other sources for use within the proximity of the system. The most common examples are remote rural farms where no electrical grid is available. Some urban installations also consider and use off-grid systems to be independent from the electrical grid to avoid unscheduled outages.

8. What is meant by an “on-grid” or “grid-tied” system?

In this instance the utility (national of municipal) grid installation for a specific property remains intact. The Solar PV system is used to generate power that gets fed into the property’s electrical reticulation. The more power that is generated by the PV system, the less the reliance is on the grid, and visa versa. In this instance the utility grid is relied upon for security of supply.

9. What is the payback period?

Generally on commercial systems the payback periods vary from 2 years to 6 years and on residential systems from 4 years to 8 years.

10. What is the life expectation of these systems?

Solar PV systems has a design life in excess of 25 years and do last for as long as 35 years.

11. Would a Solar PV system add value to my property?

Yes. These systems would lower the cost of ownership and increase the security of supply to the property.

12. Can I feed power back into the grid?

The Solar PV system technology provides for feeding power back into the utility grid but the current legislative regulatory framework in South Africa does not make this possible. Legal net-metering, wheeling and back-feed are however imminent.

13. How will this improve commercial competitiveness?

Energy cost is the single fastest growing cost to most businesses. A photovoltaic system fixes the cost of energy that it generates for the next 25 years.

14. Can it assist in my risk of electrical supply?

Yes. Depending on design you could either be independent from the risk associated to the supply from the national or municipal grid, or you would be partly reliant on the grid.

15. What size roof space is required?

With South African solar irradiation conditions generally 10m2 is required per kWp.

16. Are these systems hail and weather resistant?

Although the Solar PV module is covered with glass, it is tested to withstand most elements nature throws at it. From our own experience we only saw hail damage to modules once during a freak storm that hit the eastern suburbs of Johannesburg during October 2012. The insurance company replaced the modules without hassle.

17. Can Solar PV produce 3 phase power?

Yes. It is however dependent on the design of the systems which makes it important to use qualified electrical engineers like those in our service to design your system.

18. How proven is this technology?

Solar Photovoltaic technology has been in use for longer than most people know. The reason that it haven’t been taken up on a larger scale before was due to the relative low cost and consistency of grid-supplied electricity. We have personally visited sites that have been installed since the early 1980’s and own a module that is now 27 years old.

19. What safety risks are associated with a Solar PV system?

A system properly designed and installed by duly qualified persons has no safety risk to people.

20. Do these panels become hot to touch?

These panels operate from light that is absorbed and does not become hotter than any other surface that is exposed to direct sunlight.

21. How big or small can these systems be?

These systems can be designed according to each specific need and size. Starting from a small backup supply to a large scale solar farm.

22. What maintenance is required for these systems?

A Solar PV system installed by a qualified person using quality components requires low to no maintenance over its lifetime.

08/12/2015

More of South Africa's businesses are going Solar than ever before. Since Eskom will keep on increasing prices, the idea that Solar is to expensive is no longer a reason not to invest.

The average price of a commercial PV (photovoltaic) system has dropped nearly 30% over the last three years.

Any new business, or house owner that is either building, or extended there mortgage can get a very decent loan for a Solar installation. Keeping in mind that building, can be as small as a carport with solar panels.

Don't forget that an investment with the same money does not do as well as a TAX free Solar system.

14/11/2015

WHY DOES ESKOM NOT WANT YOU TO GO SOLAR?

Ever wondered why there's so much dis-information about solar power solutions in SA?

Well it's quite simple ...

If you go "OFF the GRID" ,... ESKOM loses a customer.

If you were in business, would you want your customers to stop buying from you?

How's this for madness:

- They increased their prices by 25% this year (19% above CSI index )

- They send out accounts which are incorrect 92% of the time

- They randomly have load shedding to scare the public that they can implement price increases and we as South African's have to suck it up and accept it

- They sell power to neighbouring countries for less than we pay locally

- They have areas that have hundreds of millions of people in areas for electricity usage without payment and other clients (paying customers) have to pay for it.

WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS DOES THIS.

If you were in business and you did this to your clients, what would happen?

So get info from our team and get off the grid.

It's not as hard as you may think and when you think of your cost in way of investment, Solar is the way to go.

12/11/2015

Solar Systems as a TAX FREE Investment – 5Kva system with batteries

Introduction

The problem with getting people to invest in Solar Energy is the reasoning that it is costly. What is forgotten is that the same amount of money invested in a bank does not have as good a return as what Solar does and it is tax free.

Money Invested

R250,000.00, even though most banks don’t give you 10%, we will still use that as a yard stick. Even though a bank customer will only get about 6%.

So over 5 years:

1. 250000*10%=25,000.00 New amount 275,000
2. 275000*10%=27,500.00 New amount 302,500
3. 302000*10%=30,250.00 New amount 332,750
4. 332750*10%=33,275.00 New amount 366,025
5. 366025*10%=36,602.50 New amount 402,627.50

Keeping in mind any amount you earn interest in will be taxed and it gets added to your yearly taxed amount.

Made without tax being removed: R152,627.50

Using +- middle TAX bracket of 36%

Tax – 36% 152627.50-36% (54,945.90) = 97,681.60

Solar Solution

Payments made yearly = R15,600pa using this amount that gets increased by Eskom.

1. 15,660*15%=2340.00 New amount 18,000
2. 18,000*15%=2700.00 New amount 20,700
3. 20,700*15%=3105.00 New amount 23,805
4. 23,805*15%=3570,75 New amount 27,375.75
5. 27,373.75*15%=4106.36 New amount 31,480.11

Amount saved: R121,360.86

Please keep in mind, unless batteries are maintained, changing these out every 5 years or so is a must. That is why a 5 year period is used here. Good inverters / battery charges also 5 years and Solar panels of course are 25 years efficiency warranties.
The R250,000 used in this example is using the best inverter / battery charger in this industry today, so a smaller amount for investment is possible.

07/11/2015