Hybrid Solar Systems with Battery Backup: Free Quotes Across South Africa

How a hybrid solar system works

The panels produce direct current. The hybrid inverter does three jobs in one box: it converts that power for your home, charges the batteries, and manages the connection to the grid. During the day your appliances use solar power first, any surplus charges the batteries, and the grid tops up only if needed. In the evening the batteries take over. When Eskom or the municipality fails, the inverter isolates your home from the grid and keeps your chosen circuits running.

This is the main difference from a plain grid-tied system, which shuts down in an outage. Read our page on grid-tied solar systems for the comparison, and on hybrid inverters for the equipment itself.

Batteries, essential loads and backup time

Batteries are where the design choices matter most. Most new hybrid systems use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, rated in kWh. How long they last in an outage depends on what is connected.

• Essential loads: lights, fridge, router, TV and phone chargers use little power and last long.
• Heavy loads: stoves, kettles, geysers, heaters and pool pumps drain batteries quickly and are often left on the grid side.
• Inverter rating: a 5 kVA unit can start fewer motors at once than a 10 kVA unit.

Ask installers to explain which circuits are backed up and how long they expect the battery to last on a typical evening. See lithium solar batteries for more.

Approvals, safety and grid connection

A hybrid system that stays connected to the grid counts as embedded generation. Your municipality or Eskom requires SSEG registration or approval before you switch it on, and the inverter must meet NRS 097-2-1 and be on the approved list. Some areas offer feed-in credits for exported power, others do not, so ask what applies to your account.

The installation must follow SANS 10142-1 and SANS 10142-1-2, and a registered electrician issues the Electrical Certificate of Compliance. Batteries should sit in a ventilated, protected spot away from direct sun, damp and flammable material. Tell your insurer once the system is in. Our page on solar compliance and registration covers the paperwork.

What affects the price of a hybrid system

A hybrid system costs more than a grid-tied one because of the batteries and the larger inverter, but the final figure depends on your choices. Quotes vary with:

• The inverter size, single or three phase, and the number of units.
• The battery capacity in kWh and the battery type.
• The number of panels and the roof layout.
• How much of your wiring needs to be split into backed-up and non-backed-up circuits.
• Extra items such as a generator input, smart metering or monitoring.
• Warranty terms and after-sales support.

Ask installers to list each component and its warranty so quotes can be compared fairly.

What to include in your request

• List the appliances that must run during an outage.
• Say whether you have single or three phase supply.
• State how many hours of backup you would like.
• Mention any existing panels or inverter you want to reuse.
• Add your municipality or Eskom area.

Hybrid Solar Systems at different properties

• Family homes: a 5 to 8 kVA inverter and lithium battery keeping essentials running through load-shedding
• Estate homes: larger hybrid systems for bigger homes, installed neatly and approved by the estate's design committee
• Townhouses and flats: compact hybrid units backing up lights and Wi-Fi, mounted where the body corporate allows
• Farms, smallholdings and lodges: hybrid systems that ride out long rural outages and run pumps, cold rooms and workshop tools
• Shops, offices and schools: hybrid systems keeping tills, card machines, alarms and servers running when the grid drops
• Factories and warehouses: three-phase hybrid or battery-backed systems that protect critical machines and cold chain equipment

Frequently asked questions

Hybrid Solar Systems by province and city

• Gauteng
• Mpumalanga
• North West
• Limpopo
• Northern Cape
• Free State
• KwaZulu-Natal
• Eastern Cape
• Western Cape

• Johannesburg
• Pretoria
• Centurion
• Midrand
• Sandton
• Randburg
• Roodepoort
• Krugersdorp
• Randfontein
• Germiston
• Boksburg
• Benoni
• Kempton Park
• Alberton
• Vanderbijlpark
• Vereeniging
• eMalahleni (Witbank)
• Middelburg
• Secunda
• Mbombela (Nelspruit)
• Rustenburg
• Brits
• Klerksdorp
• Potchefstroom
• Polokwane
• Tzaneen
• Lephalale
• Kimberley
• Kathu
• Upington
• Bloemfontein
• Welkom
• Sasolburg
• Durban
• Pinetown
• Pietermaritzburg
• Richards Bay
• Newcastle
• Ladysmith
• Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
• East London
• Kariega (Uitenhage)
• Cape Town
• Bellville
• Paarl
• Stellenbosch
• George
• Worcester

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