In recent years, the use of solar power as an alternative source of electricity has gained significant popularity with the collapse of Eskom’s unstable electricity grid.
If you’re considering installing a solar power system, you’re probably wondering what size system you need and what equipment is necessary.
In this blog post, we will review a 5kva solar system setup and examine its components, benefits, and potential drawbacks. You might be surprised by the outcome.
What exactly is a 5kva solar system?
A 5kva or 5000w solar system setup is a popular option for homeowners who are looking to reduce their reliance on grid power and take advantage of the benefits of solar energy.
This specific solar setup that we have tested consists of a solar inverter, which is the heart of the system, and other components such as solar panels, a battery bank, and a charge controller, all bought from Off Grid Power Solutions.
The inverter is responsible for converting the DC power generated by the solar panels into AC power that can be used by your household appliances.
The capacity of a 5kva solar inverter is 5000 watts, which means that it can supply up to 5000 watts of power to your home at any given time. This is enough to power most of the essential appliances in a typical household, such as lights, fans, televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines.
Components used in our 5kva solar system setup.
– 1x Goscor 5000w Hybrid Solar Inverter
– 2x Goscor 100Ah Lithium Wall Mounted Battery
– 8x Trina Vertex 545w Solar Panels
The total cost for the components used in our 5kw solar system setup excluding installation totalled an average of R100k, and we are happy to say that we are 80% off the grid and rarely make use of Eskom power to charge our batteries. We will elaborate on this later on in this post.
Advantages of our 5kva System
A 5kva solar system setup is an attractive option for homeowners who want to take advantage of solar energy and reduce their reliance on grid power. The setup includes a solar inverter, solar panels, a battery bank, and a charge controller that work together to generate and distribute clean energy.
One of the main benefits of a 5kva solar system setup is its reduced startup cost, which has become more affordable due to decreasing costs of solar panels and government incentives announced in the 2023 budget speech.
Additionally, a 5kva solar system setup can produce enough energy to support a small to medium-sized household with 3-4 occupants, and it provides grid independence by reducing the reliance on Eskom.
Furthermore, a 5kva solar system setup can provide long-term cost savings by reducing or even eliminating monthly electricity bills through energy savings. And, if the system generates more energy than needed, it is possible to sell excess power back to the grid, potentially earning money over time.
In summary, a 5kva solar system setup offers several benefits, including reduced startup cost, the ability to support a household of a certain size, grid independence, and long-term cost savings.
With the growing popularity of solar energy and advancements in technology, a 5kva solar system setup is a viable option for homeowners who want to take advantage of the benefits of solar energy and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Take note: During the day you will most likely be running 100% off of the energy generated from your solar panels if the sun is shining, meaning that you will most likely not use any/minimal battery power during the day to power appliances in your home.
Some disadvantages we faced with our 5kva solar system
While the cost of a 5kva solar system setup has decreased in recent years, the upfront cost of installation can still be significant. Homeowners may need to make a large initial investment, which may not be feasible for everyone.
A 5kva solar system setup relies on sunlight to generate energy, which means that its output can be limited during cloudy days, low light conditions, or at night. This means that homeowners may need to rely on grid power during these times, which reduces the potential cost savings.
You are also capable of adding additional batteries to supply your home with electricity during these times but this will significantly increase the price of your setup.
A 5kva solar system setup requires a significant amount of space to accommodate the solar panels, inverter, and battery bank or multiple batteries. Homeowners with limited roof space or outdoor areas may not be able to install a large enough system to meet their energy needs.
While solar systems require minimal maintenance, they still require regular cleaning and occasional repairs. Homeowners may need to hire a professional to perform these tasks, which can add to the overall cost of the system.
The battery bank, which stores energy generated by solar panels, has a limited lifespan and will need to be replaced eventually. This can add to the long-term cost of the system. Luckily the Goscor wall mount & rack mount lithium batteries come with a DoD of 4000 cycles at 80%.
In conclusion, while a 5kva solar system setup offers several benefits, it also has some potential disadvantages that homeowners should consider before making an investment.
The high upfront cost, limited output during low sunlight conditions, space requirements, maintenance requirements, and limited lifespan of the battery bank are some of the potential challenges that homeowners may face when installing a solar system.
What would we do differently with our 5kva solar setup?
In order to achieve greater energy independence, we would recommend adding one or two additional batteries to the 5kva solar system setup, which could allow for a 99% reduction in reliance on Eskom’s electricity supply and enable the household to almost completely operate off the grid.
We will also recommend adding a couple more solar panels so we can charge all of our batteries more efficiently and make use of the additional power during the day to power our power-hungry appliances like the dishwasher & tumble-drier instead of using some of the energy stored in the batteries.
I do not want to be completely off-grid
If your primary objective is to have a power backup solely during the 2-6 hour load-shedding periods, the current setup we offer will be ideal for powering your home during these outages.
While it’s possible to operate a backup power system without installing solar panels, it’s important to keep in mind that the batteries will need to be charged to ensure an uninterrupted power supply.
In most cases, the batteries may not be fully charged before the next load-shedding schedule, which could potentially impact the length of time your backup system can provide power.
Our Thoughts
The Goscor inverter and battery solar setup performs extremely well and we highly recommend this system for homeowners who want to achieve energy independence and get away from Eskom.
One of the key advantages of this solar system setup is its scalability, which allows homeowners to start with a smaller system and gradually add more components as their energy needs increase.
This flexibility not only makes the system more accessible to a wider range of households but also allows for cost savings in the long run. Given its numerous benefits, we highly recommend this solar setup to anyone looking to reduce their reliance on traditional power sources and enjoy a more sustainable and cost-effective energy solution.
