The continuous increase in electricity costs coupled with the ever-present threat of load-shedding from Eskom has led to a number of South African home owners searching for ways and means to mitigate the impact on their livelihoods and lifestyles. Whilst back-up systems such as a diesel generator or and inverter set help with load-shedding, they are usually costly, polluting and noisy. One long-term and sustainable solution is the installation of a solar PV system for self-generation. When coupled with a hybrid inverter and back-up batteries, the system can save both money and ensure electricity supply during load-shedding periods and at night-times.

Although, a solar system is the ultimate electricity cost-reduction and backup solution available, it is not an inexpensive investment and will cost anywhere in the range between R 70 000 to R300 000 for an average household, depending on the specifications, of course.

 Regardless of what bracket you fall into, there are a few steps you can take in order to reduce the cost of going solar for your household. Before we go into these measures, first, lets’s take a quick look at what the main contributors to the cost of a solar system are.