Gauteng · Local solar and inverter installers
How much does a solar system cost?
It comes down to what you want running and when you use it. A system sized off your bill and your usage costs less than one picked off a shelf, and the installer should show you the sum behind the number of panels.
Why there is no rand figure here
Each installer prices their own jobs, and the one who takes yours quotes in writing before any work starts. We are not going to copy a figure off another website or an industry average instead. You would plan around it, and it would not be the price of your system.
What we can tell you is what moves the price and what to ask, so the quote you get makes sense and two quotes can be compared line by line.
The longer answer
Grid-tied, hybrid and off-grid are three different products at three different prices. Grid-tied without batteries stops when the power goes off. Hybrid, with batteries and still connected to the municipal supply, is what most Gauteng homes actually want. Be clear which one you are being quoted for.
Panels only produce in daylight, so most evening use comes out of a battery or the grid. That is why the battery is often a bigger part of the price than the panels, and why a quote with lots of panels and a small battery may not do what you wanted.
Starting with backup and adding panels later is a sensible order for a lot of households. If that is the plan, say so up front, so the inverter in the first quote can take the panels when you are ready.
What decides the price
| What you want to keep running | The whole price, more than anything else. A system to keep the lights, wifi and fridge on through load shedding is a different object from one meant to run a geyser and a pool pump. Give every installer the same list or you are not comparing quotes. |
|---|---|
| Batteries | Usually the single biggest line, and the one that varies most between quotes. Storage is priced per kWh, so ask for the kWh figure rather than the brand name. |
| The inverter | Its size, and whether it is hybrid, grid-tied or off-grid. An inverter sized for the panels you have today but not for the ones you will add is a cost you pay twice. |
| The roof | Tile, IBR or flat changes the mounting and the labour. So does the pitch, the direction it faces, and how far the cable has to run back to the DB board. |
| Paperwork | An electrical Certificate of Compliance, and SSEG registration with your electricity supplier. City Power asks for solar systems to be registered and makes no exception for zero-export ones. Ask whether both are in the price or extra. |
Ask before they start
- Can you show me the load calculation behind this quote?
- Is this grid-tied, hybrid or off-grid?
- Can the inverter take more panels or batteries later?
- Can I have it itemised: panels, inverter, batteries, mounting, cabling, labour, CoC?
- What is the battery in kWh, and what is the usable depth of discharge?
- What are the warranties on the panels, the inverter and the battery, and are they the manufacturer's or yours?
- Is SSEG registration included, and who submits it?
- Is that including VAT?
Questions people ask
How much does a 5kW solar system cost?
The inverter's size is only one line of the quote. The battery, the number of panels, your roof and the paperwork make up the rest, and two 5kW quotes can be for very different systems. Ask for it itemised, with the battery's usable kWh, and compare those lines.
Is it cheaper to start with backup and add solar later?
It spreads the cost, and for a lot of homes backup is all they wanted. Tell the installer that panels may come later, so the inverter they fit can take them. Otherwise you may pay for a second inverter.
The job, and other price questions
Tell us what you want running
Takes under a minute. A solar installer near your area phones you back and quotes before any work starts. There is nothing to pay to be put in touch.