Load Shedding Solar Sizing: South Africa 2026

Last updated: November 2026

Load-shedding solar sizing starts with the appliances you need during an outage and the time they must run. Bedroom count and national load-shedding stage are not enough to choose a battery. The recharge window, inverter limits and local connection rules matter just as much.

This guide covers load assessment, usable battery energy, PV recharge, inverter selection, budgets, compliance and payback. Numerical equipment and cost examples are illustrative planning exercises, not manufacturer ratings or current installer quotations.

Load Shedding in 2026: Check the Local Schedule

Use the electricity supplier’s live notice and your area’s schedule. Eskom’s live load-shedding page reported no load shedding when opened for this November 2026 update, but a live status is not a forecast or a guarantee against local faults.

From National Status to a Site Requirement

National supply conditions and local interruptions are different risks. A transformer fault, planned maintenance or distribution problem can interrupt a home even when rotational load shedding is suspended. Set a backup objective from the household’s needs and an explicit outage scenario.

Record the longest interruption you intend to cover, the possibility of repeated interruptions and the available time to recharge. A design can handle one outage and fail the next if it assumes a full battery at every start. State the assumed starting state of charge in the proposal.

The Stage Framework and Local Hours

A national stage is not a fixed number of outage hours for every property. The local schedule determines which blocks affect the address and when. Avoid a table that converts each stage directly into a universal battery size.

What the Schedule Means for Sizing

Agree on a measurable service promise: specified circuits, a stated load profile and a chosen duration. This is clearer than saying the system is Stage 6 ready. If the owner adds a geyser or air conditioner to the backup circuit, the original runtime estimate no longer applies.

Include a reduced-capacity scenario for an aging battery and a lower starting charge after normal evening use. The household can then decide whether a larger battery, a higher reserve or stricter load management offers the best value.

Why Solar Sizing for Grid Instability Is Different

Backup design must make outage operation explicit alongside bill savings.

Three Design Objectives

For this design, balance three objectives:

1. Backup resilience , survive load shedding stages without disruption
2. Bill reduction , cut Eskom or municipal electricity costs
3. Grid compliance , meet applicable electrical and supplier approval requirements

A system that excels at one objective often compromises another. A large off-grid battery bank gives excellent backup but may never pay for itself through bill savings alone. A small grid-tie system saves money but offers zero protection during outages. For a complete framework on backup power design, see our backup power solar battery design guide.

Balancing Self-Consumption and Backup

Daytime self-consumption can reduce grid purchases, while backup requires energy available when the grid fails. These objectives compete if the battery is discharged for evening savings before an unexpected outage. Select a reserve policy and show its effect on bill savings.

Size the battery for the agreed outage load, then check how PV and permitted grid charging replenish it. Add the normal daytime loads to the PV assessment. A daily generation total is insufficient when charging power or the time between outages is limited.

Tariffs Change the Financial Result

Use the actual Eskom or municipal tariff, including the customer’s category, energy blocks, fixed charges and export terms. A city average cannot show what a particular household saves by avoiding one more kilowatt-hour of imports.

Stored energy is not free. Account for charging losses and the value of electricity used to charge the battery. If PV could have been exported, include that opportunity cost. If grid charging is used, include its tariff and any effect on demand charges.

Future tariff escalation is a scenario, not a guaranteed annual increase. Show a constant-price case and other justified scenarios. Keep resilience value separate from bill savings unless the owner supplies a defensible cost of interrupted operations.

Step-by-Step Load Assessment for SA Homes

Every sizing decision starts with one number. Your critical load. Not your total home load. The load you cannot live without during an outage.

Step 1: List Critical Devices

Walk through your home and list every device you need during the selected outage. The wattage ranges below are illustrative screening assumptions; replace them with nameplate information and measurements, including starting behavior.

Essential tier:

• LED lights (5-10 units): 50-100 W
• Wi-Fi router and modem: 20-40 W
• Smartphone and laptop chargers: 50-100 W
• Fridge and freezer: 150-300 W running, 800-1,200 W surge
• Security system: 20-50 W
• Medical devices: varies

Comfort tier:

• TV and decoder: 100-200 W
• Desktop computer: 100-300 W
• Standing fans: 50-100 W each
• Microwave (short use): 800-1,200 W
• Washing machine: 500-1,000 W

Heavy tier (requires large inverter):

• Electric geyser: 2,000-3,000 W
• Pool pump: 750-1,500 W
• Air conditioner: 1,000-2,500 W
• Electric stove: 2,000-3,500 W
• Dishwasher: 1,200-2,000 W

Step 2: Calculate Running Watts

Add the running watts of devices that may operate simultaneously. Distinguish instantaneous demand from time-averaged consumption: a refrigerator cycles, while a microwave may run briefly at a high input power. Use appliance input ratings rather than advertised cooking or cooling output.

Illustrative home load profile (essential and comfort loads)

Step 3: Calculate Daily Energy Need

Multiply running watts by hours of use. Sum the results. This gives your daily critical energy need in watt-hours.

From the table above:

• Lights: 80 W x 5 h = 400 Wh
• Wi-Fi: 25 W x 24 h = 600 Wh
• Fridge: 200 W x 8 h = 1,600 Wh
• TV: 150 W x 4 h = 600 Wh
• Laptop: 80 W x 3 h = 240 Wh
• Phones: 40 W x 2 h = 80 Wh
• Fan: 75 W x 6 h = 450 Wh
• Microwave: 1,000 W x 0.25 h = 250 Wh

Daily total: 4,220 Wh or 4.22 kWh

This is a full-day energy total, not automatically the energy required during an outage. Select only the operating hours that fall within the design interruption. Battery nameplate energy also differs from energy delivered to appliances. Also see: Us Residential Solar Market Trends 2026.

Battery Sizing: Usable Energy and Runtime

Battery energy determines runtime, while battery power determines which loads it can support at once. Check both against the selected product and operating temperature. Do not apply one depth-of-discharge allowance or cycle-life figure to every lithium battery.

Depth of Discharge and Reserve

Depth of discharge describes how much of the battery’s capacity has been withdrawn. The usable operating window may be limited by warranty conditions, system settings or a backup reserve. If the manufacturer already quotes usable capacity, avoid applying the same allowance again.

For an energy-only screen, divide the required AC load energy by the usable fraction and downstream efficiencies. Add separately modeled standby consumption and other losses according to their actual boundary.

Required nominal battery energy = outage load energy / (usable fraction × inverter efficiency × wiring efficiency)

If the entire illustrative 4.22 kWh daily load were required during one outage, with an assumed usable fraction of 0.80, inverter efficiency of 0.93 and wiring efficiency of 0.98, the result would be approximately 5.79 kWh nominal. Those factors are example inputs, not specifications for a named battery.

A larger selected battery may be justified by aging, reserve, unusual loads or available product sizes. Explain those allowances separately rather than claiming that the formula itself requires 10 kWh. Also check the battery management system’s discharge-current limit and inverter compatibility.

Duration-Based Battery Sizing

Size against the actual outage load and duration rather than a stage label. The table assumes a constant 1 kW AC load, 80% usable battery window and 90% downstream efficiency. It excludes standby consumption and aging margin.

A real load profile is rarely constant. Motor starts affect power capability, while appliance duty cycles affect energy. Run the calculation for the agreed profile, then check a more demanding but plausible household day. Do not add every appliance’s surge rating as though it runs at that level for the whole outage.

Battery Chemistry and Product Evidence

Lithium iron phosphate and lead-acid batteries have different operating characteristics, but chemistry labels alone are insufficient for comparison. Obtain usable energy, continuous and peak power, permitted temperatures, cycle or throughput warranty conditions and installation requirements for each proposed product.

Compare installed cost per usable capacity and the expected operating duty. A cycle count without depth of discharge, temperature and end-of-life conditions is not a lifetime prediction. Warranty duration is also not a promise that the battery will retain all its initial capacity.

Place equipment where the manufacturer permits it and where maintenance access is practical. Heat, moisture, ventilation and separation requirements should be addressed in the design. Ask who provides local support and how a failed module would be replaced without assuming all batteries can be mixed later.

Inverter-to-Battery Pairing

Check the manufacturer’s compatibility list, battery voltage range, communications requirements and charge/discharge limits. An inverter capable of a high output may still be restricted by the connected battery bank. Likewise, a large energy capacity does not guarantee sufficient starting power.

Do not convert every kVA rating to kW with a fixed factor. Use the inverter’s actual real-power and apparent-power limits, together with the loads’ characteristics. Check backup-mode limits separately from grid-connected pass-through capability.

For future expansion, obtain the permitted module combinations and commissioning rules in writing. The cost of a later addition may include new protection, wiring or control work. Reserve physical space where useful, but do not assume that any new battery will be compatible with an older bank.

Solar Array Sizing for SA Conditions

South Africa has world-class solar resources. But they vary dramatically by location and season.

Irradiance by Location

Use location-specific weather data and the proposed roof geometry. Global horizontal irradiance describes sunlight on a horizontal surface; it is not the same as PV electricity output or the sunlight on a tilted roof.

The European Commission’s PVGIS tool provides a way to examine location, orientation, system losses and generation over time. Save the model inputs and data source with the quotation. The city-level yield figures in the earlier version were not supported by an opened source and have been removed.

Seasonal Variation

Check the months and weather conditions that matter for the backup objective. An annual average can hide a poor recharge period. Also check whether the outage occurs before the array has had time to replenish energy used overnight.

There is no need to assume that all South African locations have the same seasonal percentage change. Run the site model and inspect the lower-generation periods. If several cloudy days must be covered, include that requirement explicitly and evaluate a backup charging source or reduced-load plan.

The Array Sizing Formula

Check recharge capability under the chosen lower-generation design condition, alongside daytime consumption. A single-day energy screen is only the first step.

Solar Array Size (kWp) = Daily Battery Recharge Need (kWh) ÷ (Winter Peak Sun Hours × System Efficiency)

Illustrative recharge example, not a Johannesburg yield forecast

• Daily battery recharge need: 4.5 kWh (after losses)
• Winter peak sun hours: 4.0
• System efficiency: 0.80 (panel, inverter, cable, temperature losses)

Array size = 4.5 ÷ (4.0 × 0.80) = 4.5 ÷ 3.2 = 1.41 kWp minimum

This result covers only the stated recharge energy. Add daytime loads and other requirements explicitly; do not simply double the array size. Check charging power, export restrictions, roof area and the inverter’s PV input limits.

Add Daytime Demand Without Double Counting

Keep a ledger of energy destinations: direct household use, battery charging, export and curtailment. Energy sent to the battery cannot also be counted as direct use or export. Include charging and discharging losses at their respective boundaries.

If the owner wants extra bill savings beyond the backup requirement, evaluate that additional PV separately. More panels may be useful even when the battery is full, but the value depends on daytime demand and export permission. An oversized array can have low marginal value if much of its output is curtailed.

Tilt Angle and Orientation

North-facing arrays are a useful starting point in the southern hemisphere, but the best site design depends on roof space and load timing. Compare feasible orientations rather than assuming every roof must be rebuilt to match latitude.

Evaluate shading with the selected module and inverter configuration. There is no universal percentage loss from one shaded module. Bypass behavior, string layout, irradiance and power electronics determine the effect.

Use roof and shading assessment to document obstructions and compare layouts. Keep roof condition, mounting access and wind loading in the engineering review. A high modeled annual yield does not override structural or electrical constraints.

Inverter Selection: Hybrid vs. Off-Grid vs. Grid-Tie

Choose the topology from the required operating modes. A grid-connected PV inverter alone normally stops supplying the premises when grid power is lost. Backup requires suitable equipment, isolation and a defined set of backed-up circuits.

Three Inverter Types Compared

Grid-Tie Inverters

A grid-tied system can still be appropriate when the main objective is bill reduction. Explain clearly that it does not provide outage protection by itself. Export permission and metering are separate from the inverter’s technical ability to export.

Hybrid Inverters

A hybrid label does not prove that every household circuit can run during an outage. Check the backup port rating, phase arrangement, transfer behavior and required switching. Establish which circuits remain energized and how loads are limited.

Compare exact models and local service terms rather than ranking brands by unsupported market share or claimed lifespan. The design needs documented PV input limits, battery compatibility, environmental limits and approval evidence for the supplier’s connection process.

Off-Grid Inverters

A standalone installation must meet its loads without relying on routine utility support. Some equipment includes a permitted generator or AC input, so the name alone is not enough to determine its electrical arrangement. Have the installer document the intended connection and isolation.

For a property with utility access, compare full independence with a grid-connected backup design. Independence may require more storage, generation and operating discipline. Treat those costs as part of the service objective rather than assuming an off-grid system is always better or always wasteful.

Surge Capacity and Continuous Power

Check continuous output and the duration of any overload capability. Motors can require starting power above their normal demand, but the amount depends on the appliance and starting method. A resistive geyser should not be assigned an invented motor-style surge multiplier.

Arrange realistic simultaneous-start cases, especially after an interruption. A battery or inverter may trip even if daily energy is sufficient. Where appropriate, the responsible installer can specify load sequencing or separate nonessential circuits instead of increasing every component.

Record which appliances are excluded from backup. A clear circuit schedule is more useful to the homeowner than a vague whole-home claim. If medical equipment is involved, have the equipment provider and responsible professional assess continuity requirements and any separate backup needs.

System Configurations by Budget and Need

The following retained cost stacks are illustrative budgets in South African rand, not verified November 2026 prices or proven system packages. Obtain itemized local quotes. The examples show which cost categories belong in a comparison; their inverter and battery capacities still require load and compatibility checks.

Budget Backup: Essentials Only

Example scope: A restricted essentials circuit with grid charging. Runtime must be calculated from measured loads.

A grid-charged backup system adds charging losses and does not automatically reduce bills. Future PV expansion depends on the selected inverter inputs and approvals, not the word hybrid alone.

Standard Resilience: A Solar-Plus-Storage Example

Example scope: A hybrid PV-and-storage proposal with selected backup circuits. This is not a bedroom-based sizing recommendation.

Calculate runtime and bill savings from the stated load profile. Neither the nominal battery capacity nor this illustrative budget supports a guaranteed payback.

Compare the proposed package with a smaller essential-load system and a larger reserve option. Select according to the owner’s requirements and quotes.

Whole-Home Backup: Maximum Resilience

Example scope: A larger storage proposal requiring explicit checks for heavy appliances and transfer behavior.

Whole-home coverage must include the actual simultaneous power and outage energy. Geysers, cooking and pumps can substantially change both requirements.

Commercial Systems: Business Continuity

Example scope: A small-business backup proposal. Zero downtime requires a separate continuity assessment, not merely a hybrid inverter.

Do not apply a blanket 125% deduction to this budget. The historical enhanced incentive had specific dates and eligibility, discussed below.

What Most Guides Get Wrong About SA Solar

A reliable proposal ties runtime and savings to an explicit operating plan. Check these assumptions before comparing package prices.

Mistake 1: Ignoring the Evening Load

An evening outage can occur when little or no PV is available. Use the chosen outage window and actual appliance schedule. Do not assume every interruption follows the same hours or that the battery starts full.

Mistake 2: Comparing Battery Nameplate Capacity Alone

Compare usable energy, power limits, warranty conditions and installed cost. Two batteries with the same nominal kWh can deliver different usable service. Temperature and reserve settings can further change the result.

Mistake 3: Undersizing the Inverter for Starting Loads

Daily kWh cannot show whether an inverter will start a pump. Check the appliance and inverter data, the battery power limit and realistic simultaneous operation. Keep the approved heavy-load exclusions visible to the homeowner.

Mistake 4: Skipping Load Measurement

Use a representative measurement period that includes the household’s normal work and weekend routines. A single day may miss a high-demand activity. Have fixed electrical measurements arranged by a qualified person rather than opening the distribution board yourself.

Mistake 5: Assuming Expansion Is Free

Future PV or battery additions can require new wiring, protection, approvals or compatible equipment. Ask for a staged design with the future limits identified. Do not buy arbitrary spare capacity without knowing what future load it is intended to serve.

The Backup and Savings Tradeoff

A high reserve improves the energy available for an unexpected outage but leaves less capacity for daily energy shifting. A low reserve may improve bill savings while reducing nighttime runtime. Show both effects and let the owner choose the operating priority.

Repeat the model with reduced battery capacity and a cloudy recharge day. A design that meets the target only under favorable initial conditions should be described that way. The purpose is to make the service promise reviewable, not to assign a universal best package.

Compliance, Regulations, and Red Tape

Obtain the requirements from the electricity supplier and the responsible electrical professional before installation. Municipal approval, electrical certification and equipment compliance are related but distinct steps.

Electrical Standards

Have the responsible professional check the applicable standard and edition for wiring, protection, earthing, isolation, labeling and battery installation. The previous article’s claimed standard updates and numerical thresholds were not verified and have been removed. A blog cannot replace the installation design or inspection.

Certificate of Compliance

For City of Cape Town’s process, the official Cape Town embedded-generation authorization page requires a Certificate of Compliance and commissioning documentation after installation. Agree who supplies each document, what work it covers and how any defects are resolved.

Do not treat a certificate as a substitute for supplier authorization or infer universal insurance consequences from its presence or absence. Ask the insurer what documentation and conditions apply to the particular policy and installation.

SSEG Registration and Supplier Approval

Small-scale embedded generation, or SSEG, requirements depend on the supplier and arrangement. Cape Town’s opened page directs applicants through its authorization process and distinguishes its supply area from Eskom’s. It also states that registration itself is free, with a fee for failing to register.

The earlier blanket claims of a 100 kW licensing threshold and a Cape Town registration fee were inaccurate for the opened guidance. Obtain the applicable process directly rather than applying a single threshold across the country. Non-export operation should not be assumed to remove approval obligations.

Insurance and Handover

Request the as-built circuit information, equipment serial numbers, warranties, operating settings, certificates and supplier correspondence. Ask the insurer about cover, insured value and any installation conditions. Keep the responses with the homeowner’s records.

The contract should distinguish completion of physical work from completion of approvals. Assign responsibility for submissions and responding to queries. Avoid a payment milestone that leaves essential documentation without an owner.

Payback and ROI in 2026

Calculate financial returns from verified quotes, the actual tariff and modeled self-consumption. Backup value can be important even when it does not shorten simple payback. Keep it visible as a separate benefit.

Current Electricity Costs

Use the customer’s tariff category and bill. Identify variable energy charges, fixed charges, time-of-use periods and export compensation. A solar system usually does not eliminate every charge on the account.

Payback by System Type

A PV-only system and a battery-backup system provide different services. Compare their bill savings separately from outage coverage. Adding a battery can increase self-consumption but also adds cost, losses and eventual replacement; it does not automatically shorten payback.

As an illustrative calculation, a R150,000 system with R30,000 annual net savings has a five-year simple payback. If net savings are only R20,000, payback is 7.5 years. These are arithmetic scenarios, not quoted South African project outcomes.

The Escalation Effect

Future tariff changes can alter savings, but they are uncertain. Keep a constant-tariff base case and show separately labeled escalation assumptions. Apply degradation, maintenance, financing and replacement consistently rather than escalating savings while holding every cost unchanged.

Do not count a kilowatt-hour of battery capacity as a kilowatt-hour saved every day. Actual savings require charging energy, sufficient demand, usable discharge and an applicable avoided tariff. Reserve held for backup may remain unused for bill reduction.

Section 12B and the Historical Enhanced Incentive

The historical 125% enhanced renewable-energy deduction was associated with Section 12BA, not a universal Section 12B discount. National Treasury’s December 2024 statement identifies the enhanced incentive’s expiry on February 28, 2025. Do not assume it applies to a new November 2026 installation.

SARS guidance also limits the personal solar-panel rebate to qualifying panels first brought into use from March 1, 2023 through February 29, 2024. That historical rebate should not be deducted from a new household quote.

A tax deduction is not a cash rebate equal to the deducted amount. Its value depends on eligibility, taxable income, the applicable tax rate and timing. Ask the tax adviser to evaluate any ordinary allowance separately and retain a no-tax-benefit scenario in the proposal.

Installation Best Practices

A well-designed system installed poorly is a badly designed system.

Choosing an Installer

Check the installer’s qualifications, insurance, references and scope of responsibility. Design software supports documentation but does not replace electrical or structural approval.

Items to verify in the quotation:

• Registered Master Electrician or Installation Electrician
• SAPVIA membership (preferred but not mandatory)
• Written workmanship warranty and exclusions
• Manufacturer-certified for the inverter brand
• Valid public liability insurance
• Portfolio of completed installations with references

Red flags:

• No COC offered or promised “after the fact”
• A low quote with missing equipment or installation scope
• Pressure to decide immediately
• No site visit before quoting
• Inability to explain inverter settings or battery configuration

The Site Visit

A proper installation begins with a detailed site assessment. This should include:

1. Roof inspection: Condition, pitch, orientation, shading analysis
2. Electrical assessment: DB board capacity, breaker ratings, cable routes
3. Load profiling: 7-day power meter monitoring of actual consumption
4. Structural check: Roof load capacity for panel weight and wind uplift
5. Grid connection: Meter type, phase configuration, municipal requirements

A remote estimate can be preliminary, but roof condition, electrical works and access need site verification before a firm installation scope is agreed.

Cable Sizing

Cable selection depends on current, route length, installation method, temperature, grouping, protection and fault conditions. Have the qualified designer check the standard and equipment instructions. A generic current-to-cable-size table cannot safely cover these variables.

Document voltage-drop assumptions and cable routes in the electrical design. Use equipment and cable suitable for their environment and duty. Keep protection coordination and termination requirements with the installation records, rather than leaving them to a package-price assumption.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Review generation, battery state of charge and fault records against the design conditions. A cloudy period is not automatically a fault, while an unexpected overnight discharge may indicate a changed reserve setting or a new load.

Follow the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions. Cleaning frequency depends on local soiling, access and safety. Electrical inspections, torque checks and battery diagnostics should be performed by qualified personnel where required, not treated as homeowner tasks.

Record any settings changes and the reason for them. If the owner adds appliances or changes the backup circuits, update the runtime calculation. Keep monitoring access and support contact details available even if the original installer changes staff.

City-by-City Design Reference

Use these location checks to build a site-specific model. They are investigation prompts, not city-average output, tariff or payback guarantees. The supplier may differ even within the same metropolitan area.

Johannesburg

Identify whether the account is supplied by the municipality or Eskom and obtain the applicable tariff and connection process. Model the actual roof, surrounding obstructions and proposed equipment location. Check summer operating temperatures using the manufacturer’s limits rather than applying an arbitrary percentage loss.

Review storm exposure and the condition of the existing electrical installation with the responsible professional. Use the household’s own load profile to choose backup circuits. A common package size in an advertisement is not evidence that it will meet this address’s requirements.

Cape Town

Use the City’s authorization process where it is the supplier, and assess the site’s seasonal generation and recharge requirement. Obtain the metering and export conditions before assigning revenue to surplus PV. Keep commissioning and approval documents in the handover package.

Check wind exposure, roof condition and structural mounting requirements at the actual property. A generic instruction to enlarge every Cape Town array by a fixed percentage is not a substitute for weather and shading analysis.

Durban

Assess the installation environment, including moisture and coastal exposure where relevant. Ask equipment suppliers about enclosure, corrosion and warranty requirements for the site. Confirm the electricity supplier and approval route before finalizing the design.

Check airflow around inverters and batteries and how equipment will be accessed for service. Calculate output from the roof and local weather inputs. Do not infer a fixed yield or payback from the city name alone.

Pretoria

Obtain the account-specific tariff, local schedule and connection requirements. Compare measured household demand with the chosen outage profile. A neighboring home’s system can illustrate an arrangement but cannot establish this home’s required battery size.

Review roof access, weather exposure and equipment siting. Keep the generation model’s assumptions with the quotation so later changes to the layout or shading can be assessed consistently.

Upington and the Northern Cape

Assess temperature and soiling alongside the solar resource. High irradiation does not remove inverter or battery thermal limits. Use the selected product’s derating information and a practical maintenance plan for the property.

Check water availability and safe access before assuming frequent panel cleaning. For remote properties, service response, spare parts and any backup charging source can be important design constraints. Evaluate them explicitly rather than relying only on an annual production estimate.

Conclusion

Define the backed-up appliances and outage duration before choosing equipment. Calculate usable energy and starting power separately, then check recharge under the selected weather and schedule assumptions. Obtain supplier approval requirements and itemized quotes before presenting payback.

Bring the roof and load information to a SurgePV solar-design walkthrough to review layout, shading and energy-yield assumptions. The responsible installer and electrical professional should approve the backup equipment, protection and compliance documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size solar system do I need for load shedding?

Size the system from the appliances you need, their power and the outage duration you want to cover. Calculate usable battery energy, inverter starting capability and the available recharge window separately.

How much battery capacity is needed for four hours?

A constant 1 kW load needs 4 kWh delivered over four hours. With an assumed 80% usable battery window and 90% downstream efficiency, the energy-only calculation is about 5.56 kWh nominal before standby and aging allowances.

Does Stage 6 mean every home needs the same battery?

No, a national stage does not define a universal household battery size. Use the local schedule, selected loads and recharge opportunities to evaluate consecutive outages.

Will a normal grid-tied solar inverter work during an outage?

A grid-tied PV inverter alone normally stops supplying the premises when the grid fails. Backup requires suitable equipment, isolation and a defined arrangement for the circuits that remain powered.

Do I need to register solar in Cape Town?

Cape Town requires authorization for embedded generation within its electricity supply area. Its official process includes installation documentation, a Certificate of Compliance and commissioning sign-off; Eskom-supplied properties follow Eskom’s process.

Can I deduct 125% of a new solar system in 2026?

Do not assume the historical 125% enhanced deduction applies to a new installation. National Treasury identifies the Section 12BA incentive’s expiry as February 28, 2025; a tax adviser should assess any other applicable allowance.