I invested in solar, why am I disappointed?

Residential Security Handbook 2022: SMART Estate Living Residential Estate (Industry), Products & Solutions, Smart Home Automation

It should come as no surprise that there has been a massive spike in interest and uptake of solar installations of various sizes. Load-shedding and unplanned outages have affected businesses and households alike.

Many have decided to install various systems to try to mitigate the effects of the unstable grid. However, concerns about the environment have changed the way many, if not most, people see energy and this trend is going to continue accelerating. At a global and national level, renewable energy is gaining traction and even though South Africa has moved slowly compared to other countries, the horse has bolted.

With this in mind, many people have installed solar panels on the roofs of their homes, but unless these installations have been carried out by knowledgeable companies, some people find the results to be somewhat underwhelming, which can, of course, be mitigated or even reversed with the right design, equipment and investment.


Felix von Bormann.

Felix von Bormann, co-founder and CTO of energy storage company REVOV, says rather than be disappointed in the power of solar, people should look at the choice of components and how they’ve been put together. REVOV does not install solar, instead it provides lithium iron phosphate batteries which, according to Bormann, are the perfect fit for stationary storage solutions, which is why it’s not uncommon to find REVOV batteries in solar installations. Why do you need batteries, you may ask? Because when there is no sun and the PV panels are not generating electricity, then the batteries come to the party.

Bormann shares a few thoughts that will hopefully get consumers to ask the right questions when they decide to go with solar:

Why does solar not run enough in my house?

The installed system may be under-designed as compared to the load. A common installer mistake is to omit the daily energy required to recharge batteries. The weather may have an impact on the production of power – cloudy and rainy weather causes less production due to less sun. The solar panels may be installed incorrectly, for example, in excess shade, or the panels are facing the wrong direction for maximum sun exposure.

Why do I run out of power when there’s load-shedding?

It is possible the batteries did not charge fully to 100% and this may be because the incorrect energy profile has been set up or there is not enough PV installed in the system.

Another reason is that the load is too high for the system, for example, there is not enough inverter (or battery) capacity and there are too many appliances being used which drain the batteries. It may well be that the installation is designed under spec according to the load that is needed during load-shedding.

Is there a way to have proper power when it’s raining?

Solar panels can still work during rainy days, however, their production will be lower than usual. After a couple of days of bad rain, you can expect that the solar panels have not produced enough power to fill the battery completely and therefore you will have a reduced capacity.

To make sure there is enough power during bad weather, ensure that only essential loads are being used and monitor your usage.

Why bother with lithium when lead acid is cheaper?

Lithium iron phosphate is the battery of choice in powering homes and businesses and the battery of choice for REVOV for stationary energy storage systems. These batteries are widely used in electric vehicles and so have a proven safety record. Second life versions of lithium iron phosphate batteries are comparable in price to lead acid packs that deliver the same output. Lithium iron phosphate batteries have a lifespan three times as long as lead acid batteries, have fewer safety risks and require negligible maintenance.

Second life batteries tolerate considerable abuse and big variations in temperature and are significantly cheaper to keep charged up. Lithium batteries in poor DC systems tend to accommodate the system via the BMS (battery management system) and get ‘shaped’ by the DC system to produce energy according to the operating parameters.

Lead acid requires maintenance to keep it working well and doesn’t last as long as the equivalent lithium iron phosphate battery pack. The recharging of lead-acid batteries will be two to three times slower, drag over hours rather than the quick one to two hour process with lithium iron phosphate.

Lithium iron phosphate is a convenient and safer alternative to lead acid. It’s much more of an ‘install and forget’ solution as you move off-grid and look to stop trying to depend on an unstable national grid power provider.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Hikvision launches AcuSeek NVR
Surveillance Products & Solutions AI & Data Analytics
By integrating natural language interaction, Hikvision’s AcuSeek NVR enables precise video and image retrieval within seconds, marking a transformative milestone for the security industry's advance into intelligent and efficient applications.

Read more...
Analyse, automate, and optimise logistics processes
neaMetrics Surveillance Transport (Industry) Products & Solutions Logistics (Industry)
In today’s rapidly evolving logistics sector, the pressure to improve process efficiency, optimise resource usage, and ensure seamless security is more intense than ever. Smart, proactive surveillance is no longer a luxury — it is a critical operational necessity.

Read more...
The dangers of poor-quality solar cables
Security Services & Risk Management Smart Home Automation
Reports indicate that one in six fires attended by South African firefighters is linked to substandard solar installations, often due to faulty wiring or incompatible components.

Read more...
Advanced surveillance storage from ASBIS
Infrastructure Surveillance Products & Solutions
From a video storage solutions perspective, SkyHawk drives, designed for DVRs and NVRs, offer high capacity, optimised firmware, and a reliability workload rating of hundreds of terabytes per year.

Read more...
A passport to offline backups
SMART Security Solutions Technews Publishing Editor's Choice Infrastructure Smart Home Automation
SMART Security Solutions tested a 6 TB WD My Passport and found it is much more than simply another portable hard drive when considering the free security software the company includes with the device.

Read more...
Efficient, future-proof estate security and management
Technews Publishing ElementC Solutions Duxbury Networking Fang Fences & Guards Secutel Technologies OneSpace Technologies DeepAlert SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Information Security Security Services & Risk Management Residential Estate (Industry) AI & Data Analytics IoT & Automation
In February this year, SMART Security Solutions travelled to Cape Town to experience the unbelievable experience of a city where potholes are fixed, and traffic lights work; and to host the Cape Town SMART Estate Security Conference 2025.

Read more...
DoorBell with built-in AI
Ajax Systems Access Control & Identity Management Products & Solutions Smart Home Automation
Ajax Systems has announced the release of Ajax DoorBell, which features built-in AI, an IR sensor, and app control, seamlessly integrating into the Ajax ecosystem to ensure efficiency and security confidence.

Read more...
Kaspersky KATA 7.0 for targeted attack protection
Information Security Products & Solutions
] Kaspersky has announced a major update to its Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack (KATA) including enhanced network detection and response (NDR) capabilities with deeper network visibility, internal threats detection and other critical security features.

Read more...
Benchmark in long-range surveillance
Duxbury Networking Surveillance Products & Solutions
Duxbury Networking says the long-range, high-resolution monitoring AXIS Q1809-LE bullet camera has been enhanced further with integration into Milestone XProtect to set a new standard for forensic-level image clarity, intelligent event detection, and enhanced security management.

Read more...
Bosch sells product business to Triton
Bosch Building Technologies News & Events Products & Solutions Facilities & Building Management
Bosch is selling its Building Technologies division’s product business for security and communications technology to the European investment firm Triton. The division is set to focus on systems integration business in the future.

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.