48V/51.2V is the industry standard for installations > 3kW to minimize heavy copper cable thickness and fire risk.
🔌 Appliance Load Schedule 8 Active
Select devices you need running during power outages
➕ Add Custom Appliance / Heavy Motor
Provides comfortable backup for a 4.5h Stage 4 load-shedding slot with safety margin.
Electrical Specifications Breakdown Calculated in Real-Time
Standard commercial LiFePO4 batteries are sold in 5.12 kWh (100Ah 51.2V) or 2.56 kWh (50Ah) modules. Over-sizing provides cycle longevity and emergency buffer.
Battery Autonomy Matrix (Hours of Run-Time) With 1x 5.12 kWh Pack
Calculated using usable battery capacity factoring 92% inverter conversion efficiency and chosen DoD.
☀️ Solar PV Array Sizing (Optional Hybrid)
5.0 Peak Sun HoursAssumes average South African insolation of 5.0 Peak Sun Hours per day and 78% system performance ratio (wiring, inverter MPPT, temperature derating).
💰 Inverter vs Generator Running Cost
Massive Savings⚡ Electrical DB Board Sub-Circuit Split Guide SANS 10142-1 Best Practice
Why splitting your distribution board into Essential and Non-Essential circuits saves R50,000+
Connected to the Inverter UPS output. Runs seamlessly during load-shedding with <10ms automatic transfer time.
- • All indoor & perimeter LED lighting circuits
- • Wi-Fi router, fiber ONT, security alarm & CCTV cameras
- • Primary kitchen refrigerator & chest freezer
- • Home office workstation, laptops & TV plugs
- • Gate motor & garage door opener
Directly connected to incoming municipal power or the inverter's AUX / Smart Load port. Never draws from battery at night.
- • Electric geyser (3,000W element drains a 5kWh battery in 90 mins!)
- • Electric stove, oven & induction hob
- • Swimming pool pump (should run on solar daytime timer only)
- • High-capacity air conditioning units (unless using solar daytime diversion)
- • Electric tumble dryer & underfloor heating
📖 Solar & Inverter Engineering FAQ Guide
1. Why does inductive startup surge matter so much?
Appliances with electric motors and compressors (refrigerators, freezers, borehole pumps, air conditioners) require 3x to 6x their continuous operating power for 1-3 seconds to start spinning from a dead stop. If your inverter does not have enough surge capacity or headroom, it will trip with an overload error code (e.g. F08 or F51).
2. Why choose Lithium (LiFePO4) over Lead-Acid or Gel batteries?
Lead-acid and Gel batteries can only safely discharge to 50% Depth of Discharge (DoD) before damaging their plates, yielding only 300 to 500 cycles (dead in ~1 year under Stage 4 load shedding). Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries safely discharge to 85-90% DoD and offer 6,000+ cycles (10 to 15+ years of daily cycling), making them 4x cheaper over their lifetime.
3. When should I choose 12V, 24V or 48V DC systems?
Under Ohm's Law (Amps = Watts / Volts), running a 3,000W load at 12V requires 250 Amperes, demanding massive 70mm² copper cables and posing extreme fire risks. At 48V, that same 3,000W load requires only ~62.5 Amperes. Therefore, any system sizing at 3 kW or higher must be 48V/51.2V DC. 12V and 24V are strictly for portable trolleys and small apartments.
4. What is the difference between kVA and kW?
kW (Kilowatts) is real, working electrical power that does useful work. kVA (Kilovolt-Amperes) is apparent power (Voltage × Amperage). The relationship is governed by Power Factor: kW = kVA × PF. For modern pure sine wave residential solar inverters, the power factor is typically 0.85 to 1.0. A 5 kVA inverter with a 0.9 power factor produces 4.5 kW of continuous usable output.