Given South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis, the cost of electricity and power cuts, most people are looking for an alternative power supply. There are a few options, including inverters and Mini Power Stations, but the most effective is going off the power grid and choosing solar power.
It isn’t necessarily economical but can save you money in the long run, while keeping the power on no matter what Eskom se Push's schedule says. Plus, there is a range of budget meeting solutions ranging from buying to renting and even renting to own,
You can even get a loan from your bank, with some banks offering loans to go solar or for other alternative energy solutions. These include Absa, FNB, Nedbank and Standard Bank, and count for your business or for your home. Here are the other options directly from the companies who provide the service.
GoSolr
If you want to get connected without big upfront costs or surprises in your bill, GoSolr promises a fixed monthly fee, starting at R1 580pm. It offers hybrid solutions that include solar panels, a smart inverter, and batteries, which get connected to your DB board. The fee covers maintenance costs, and if you start small, you can upgrade as you go. The basics covered are lights, TV, Internet, fridge, and an alarm system. GoSolr services the greater Cape Town area, Gauteng, Durban, Garden Route, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, and Gqeberha.
Solarite South Africa
Solarite South Africa offers 36-, 48- or 60-month rentals if you want to rent to own. Once you reach the end of your term, you can upgrade. Solarite requires no deposit, and the fee you pay can be tax deductible. It has multiple products to choose from (SmartFlower, Micro Hydro Power, Solar Mounts, Remote Off-Grid) and your rental fees cover maintenance costs and insurance. You can choose a rent–to-own or an outright purchase option.
Switch Solar
Ready to buy a solar solution for your home? Then check out Switch Solar. You’d need to know how much energy you use at home to get something suitable for your property size. It’s a hybrid solution that works with the solar, battery and Eskom to generate around 10kW per day based on four hours of “peak sun” and has a 4kW back-up for evenings and rainy days. Switch Solar has various options to choose from, with six to 12 panels. Pricing starts at R119 980.
Versofy Solar
Servicing Gauteng and the Cape, Versofy Solar offers solar as a service (month to month), rent-to-own, and outright purchase solutions. Solar as a service is available on a 36-month term with an upfront cost of R5 000, whereas rent to own is a 60-month term with a R5 000 upfront cost. None of these apply if you purchase outright. Monthly payments start at R1 299 for the Solar Ready Grow package, which has no solar panels included. Other options are the Grow, which offers eight solar panels; the Charge with 10 panels; and the Plus with 12 panels. You can also choose how much power you need on each package.
Get Fibre With Vodacom
With the savings and reliability your new power supply provides, you can get faster internet without fear of it being gone during outages. Get Vodacom Fibre for high-speed internet that won't let you down and get a free LTE connection for one month while you wait for your installation.
