The inconvenience and resultant losses incurred by South Africans during Eskom load shedding has led to an increased move towards solar energy, and if yours is a roof that doesn’t yet sport PV solar panels, you’re probably asking the question; PV solar panels pros and cons?

No matter how you look at it, there isn’t a better long term investment you could make today than solar power as a renewable, sustainable and reliable source of power independent from an unstable grid.

The huge financial impact brought about by yet another increase in electricity tariffs on 1st April 2022, along with the current round of load shedding, is being felt in every business and every family. No one is immune to the effects of this combined weight on our finances and quality of life.

The only way around this financial burden is to cut your reliance on Eskom as much as is possible, an independence that is only possible by installing PV solar panels, whether to heat water or to keep the lights on and appliances running as they should.

PV solar panels pros and cons?

Let’s start by looking at the cons of solar power and PV solar panels in general:

The initial outlay is a major step

The initial outlay is a major financial step for most people who don’t have ready cash lying around, however, PV solar panels have to be viewed as a long term investment, which comes with a quality product that is designed to last 25 years and more.

You can also start relatively small, such as using your PV solar system purely as a backup you can rely on when load shedding comes around, and from there you can expand the system as your budget allows.

If you choose to work with Renaissance Solar in Cape Town, you’ll find that this team is committed to offering solar water heating systems, Hybrid, Grid Tie and Off Grid solar PV systems, at affordable prices for exceptional quality.

This team works hard to make your budget meet with your solar requirements, with a variety of financial offerings available as well, to make buying a solar PV system that much easier for you.

Solar power depends on the weather

Naturally, because a PV solar system needs the energy from the sun to generate power, cloudy and rainy days will place some limitations on the system. Despite this, even then, there is still energy to be harvested from the sun, which is also where solar batteries come into play, storing energy for the night-time and cold winter months.

You need space for PV solar panels

The best place for PV solar panels is on the roof of your home or business, and since PV solar panels are quite large, if you don’t have the space on your roof for the solar PV system you want, the team at Renaissance Solar will find the best solution for mounting the solar panels in your yard or elsewhere on your property.

The pros of solar panels and solar PV systems

Solar energy is cost-effective in the long term

Irrespective of whether you’ll opt to rely on PV solar panels completely or merely as back-up power, you will realise the long-term cost-effectiveness of solar power before too long. 

The size of your savings will depend on the size of your PV solar system, but save you will, especially in light of extremely high electricity tariffs that are just going to keep increasing.

PV solar systems are low-maintenance

With few moving parts, a PV solar system offers you fantastic returns with very little in terms of maintenance. At most, you may need to clean the solar panels a few times a year, but that’ll be about it.

You can also look forward to superb backup service from the team at Renaissance Solar, along with the guarantees and warranties that come with their SABS-approved PV solar panels.

Solar power equals the sustainable energy option

With the amount of sunshine in South Africa, solar power is the choice to make if you’re looking at a sustainable energy option today. Testimony to this is the increase in solar panels installed every day in Cape Town!

Contact Renaissance Solar today to find out more about the advantages of a PV solar system or high quality affordable solar water heating systems!

 

 

In general, homeowners and business owners in the market for a solar PV system will source the system from trusted solar companies, with a reputation for quality solar products and expert workmanship, such as Renaissance Solar.

Perhaps you’ve reached the end of your financial tether with the latest tariff hike from Eskom, which came just before this last round of load shedding hit us all, and are asking; can I install solar PV myself?

You can, of course, source everything you need to carry out a DIY solar installation, however, there are a few pitfalls to be aware of before taking a step as drastic as this, especially if you aren’t actually qualified to carry out the planning and installation yourself. 

You may think that you’ll be saving on labour by installing the solar PV system yourself, however, you won’t have the peace of mind that comes from working with a professional solar PV system installer.

Can I install solar PV myself?

Since planning and installing a solar PV system takes technical knowledge and skill, this is a project best left to the professionals. By choosing Renaissance Solar for your solar installation, you get a lot more than the installation into the bargain.

With experience and knowledge gained through carrying out the installation of solar PV systems in Cape Town since 2009, this is the team you want on your side when the planning stage of your solar system begins.

In order to get the most out of your budget and system, Renaissance Solar will sit with you to work out the most comprehensive solar solution to meet your energy requirements.

This is a very important step in making sure that you invest in a solar PV system that will give you the returns and savings on electricity that you’re looking for, which is a basis you won’t have if you try to do it yourself. 

The benefits of trusting the professionals at Renaissance Solar with the installation of your solar PV system:

Planning a solar PV system

You’ll have quite a few decisions that need to be made when it comes to finding just the right solar PV system to meet the energy requirements of your home or business, and it’s here that the expertise of the team at Renaissance Solar is essential.

Sound advice

You’ll have all the answers you need when it comes to making an informed decision about the right solar system for your residential or commercial property, which offers a peace of mind you deserve about a major investment like this.

Quality products

Renaissance Solar is committed to offering customers quality, SABS-approved solar products, which includes everything from solar geysers to solar PV panels, which are guaranteed to last up to 25 years!

Warranties on these products are backed up by the expert workmanship you can expect from the highly trained in-house installation team at Renaissance Solar.

Service excellence

All you need to do to assure yourself of the exceptional reputation earned by the team at Renaissance Solar for service excellence, from the planning stages to installation and beyond, is to take the time to read customer testimonials!

These testimonials really speak to the sheer professionalism, expertise and friendliness experienced by customers who are already enjoying the benefits of a solar PV system installed by Renaissance Solar! 

The installation of your solar system will have an impact on whether or not suppliers will honour warranties on their products, especially if you’re doing it yourself.

There’s a lot more to choosing professionals such as Renaissance Solar to install your solar PV system, so before you try to install a solar PV system yourself, give this friendly team a call, for the best advice, service and prices!

 

At the outset, it needs to be said, that it’s not just the efficiency rating of a solar panel that makes for a good choice, it’s also important to take into account the power output rating, as well as the value of the panel.

In other words, when talking about the value of the solar panel, it’s about whether you choose good quality or choose cheap, low quality solar panels, which are easily available from the majority of the newest solar PV panel manufacturers today.

It’s understandable that you’re still asking the question; what is the most efficient solar panel? There’s a lot to answering this question, but, if you’re favoured enough to have met the team at Renaissance Solar in Cape Town, you’ll have down-to-earth, honest answers to this question… and any others you may have, which is rare in this fast-growing industry!

No matter how cheap it may be, a lesser quality of solar panel is, in the long run, going to cost you more than it would to invest in a quality solar panel that will outlast the cheaper one by many, many years, maintenance-free.

In comparison, and considering what top solar panel manufacturers put into research and development, as well as using production lines that are technologically advanced, you’ll have the best in terms of quality PV solar panels.

What is the most efficient solar panel?

Let’s ask another question here first; what is solar panel efficiency? What solar panel efficiency actually means is the measure of how much of the sunlight that is absorbed from the surface of the solar panel, is actually converted into usable electricity.

In general, and on average, most solar panels have an efficiency rate of between 15 to 20%, however, at the rate solar technology is advancing today, we could soon be looking at much higher numbers in the near future!

Other factors that affect the efficiency of solar panels

Very basically, the construction of the solar panel and the type of panel, along with various conditions outdoors, also play a role in how efficient a solar panel will be.

Solar panel efficiency tests are conducted in lab conditions, which, in real life, don’t convert to how your solar panels are going to behave on your roof in often less than idyllic conditions.

Some of these conditions include, but aren’t limited to:

How solar panel angles affects their efficiency

This is a very important factor in getting the most out of your solar panels, but, this will depend largely on where you live and what the pitch of your roof is like. 

However, it’s here that you can rely on the passionate team at Renaissance Solar to make sure your solar panels are angled perfectly, for maximum performance.

How temperature affects solar panel efficiency

According to an interesting article in sciencing.com, “Your solar panel performance is quoted for 25 degrees Celsius, and it decreases as temperature rises. Luckily, it increases again as the temperature falls. If you’re in a temperate region, the performance that you lose in the summer heat will be returned on cool, clear winter days. If that’s not enough consolation for you, you can also build your solar array to take advantage of the natural cooling effects of wind — channelling currents to carry heat away from your solar panels.”

Essentially, it’s a win-win for solar panels in Cape Town, with the generosity of mother nature and the Cape winds!

How shade affects solar panel efficiency

The best idea is to discuss the optimal position for your solar panels with the friendly team at Renaissance Solar, however, if there is too much shade from a tree or a neighbouring building interfering with solar panels, you won’t be getting the electricity from them that you could and should!

How weather affects solar panel efficiency

Here’s another of the multitude of reasons that make solar panels a must for Cape Town, with average peak sun hours ranging between 4.7 and 6.5 kWh/m2! The only place higher than this by a point is the Northern Cape!

According to energy.gov.za, South Africa enjoys more than 2 500 hours of sunshine per year, and average solar-radiation levels range between 4.5 and 6.5kWh/m2 in one day.

What this means is that for solar panels that operate superbly well do so on our bright, beautiful sunny South Africa, via direct sun and solar-radiation levels.

Find out more about the most efficient solar panels in Cape Town from Renaissance Solar!

Call the awesome team at Renaissance Solar today to get the real story behind the most efficient solar panel to invest in. With over a decade in the solar industry, this solar company has earned a reputation for high quality solar products and service excellence, on every level.

This and more, has earned the team at Renaissance Solar many, many fantastic testimonials from satisfied customers, which will give you the confidence to reach out to these professionals when you step into the future of solar power!

 

What was the question again? Oh yes, is there anything better than solar panels? Nope, simple and straightforward, at least not for the average homeowner or business owner!

There are other renewable energy resources of course, however, there are none that can offer the consistency of electricity that solar panels do, especially in sunny South Africa.

There’s wind energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy, biomass and biofuel or hydroelectric power, but how do you figure any of these working in your backyard?

At best, you could try a small windmill, that is if you have a consistent wind you can rely on daily to generate any electricity, but, nothing can beat the practicality or consistency of electricity generation that PV (Photovoltaic) solar panels offer.

Is there anything better than solar panels?

The only way that a homeowner can venture into the sphere of wind energy is if they live in a region that has a lot of wind and, if they have a very large piece of land on which to mount wind turbines.

There is only one little benefit that wind may have over solar, and that is that if the wind is blowing, you’ll be able to generate power 24 hours a day, whereas solar panels rely on the sun’s rays in order to generate electricity, and the sun does go down every day, no matter where you live.

If the wind is blowing 24 hours a day, you must be living in a tough spot, to say the least! Aside from this, the expense of maintaining all the moving parts that need tender-loving care, very frequently, to keep the energy coming, is seriously high!

It’s just so much easier and far less expensive to rely on PV solar panels in Cape Town, despite the sometimes brutal winds that buffet this coast.

Perhaps large-scale commercial businesses in the right areas can afford to build and maintain wind-farms on a bigger scale, but, for the average homeowner, it’s just not worth it.

Introducing Renaissance Solar in Cape Town!

Now that we’ve gotten a better handle on the lack of viability where it comes to other renewable energy resources as discussed above, let’s introduce you to one of the top, big-hearted solar companies in Cape Town.

This is Renaissance Solar, and many of their customers will be more than happy to tell you about what it’s like to work with true professionals, who put their money where their mouths are and are passionate about quality.

The team at Renaissance Solar will work with you to find the perfect solar solution to meet your energy requirements, of this you can be absolutely certain. 

You won’t be wasting your time with people like this who take service excellence to its highest level. They care for their customers from day 1, through the installation and long after installation too.

Whether you’re looking at starting with a high-quality, SABS-approved and locally produced solar hot water system, or, are more interested in moving further off our unstable grid, this team will tailor-make your solar solution, while taking great care of your budget.

Renaissance Solar supplies and installs Photovoltaic (PV) Systems, including Hybrid, Grid Tie or Off Grid systems in and around Cape Town and larger commercial PV systems nationally. 

Their stable reputation, gained in over a decade in the industry, has qualified this team to tackle any PV solar system, whether on a large commercial scale or on a residential level.

If you live anywhere from Bantry Bay to Durbanville, from Obs to Stellenbosch and Tableview, or anywhere in-between, you simply have to bring your dreams of owning a solar system to Renaissance Solar, if you want it done right, from start to finish and beyond!

 

 

 

It’s quite obvious that if you’re planning to invest in a solar system, one of your first questions will be; do solar panels work during rain? 

With the incredible growth of the solar industry in Cape Town specifically, it’s natural to want to know what will happen with your investment when the winter rains head in.

One of the most important things to take into account is the quality of the PV (Photovoltaic) solar panels you choose to invest in, since this is one of the main contributors in making sure you have a fantastic ROI when you invest in a PV solar system.

If there’s one team of solar experts you can rely on to be absolutely honest with you about anything to do with solar energy, it’s the Renaissance Solar team in Cape Town!

To have come as far as they have with a reputation for excellence, for as long as they have in over a decade, speaks to the integrity, passion and drive this team has, committed to the renaissance of electricity generation in our beautiful Mother City!

But, back to the original question and a few basic answers to it, without getting too technical! 

Do solar panels work during rain?

According to seia.org, “Photovoltaic panels can use direct or indirect sunlight to generate power, though they are most effective in direct sunlight. Solar panels will still work even when the light is reflected or partially blocked by clouds. Rain actually helps to keep your panels operating efficiently by washing away any dust or dirt.”

Granted, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is an American association, but isn’t this just great news anyway, especially when it comes to living in the higher winter rainfall areas in Cape Town?

It would be best to chat to the team at Renaissance Solar about exact data and percentages when it comes to how well solar panels work during rain, but on average, PV solar panels are able to produce anything from between 10 to 25% of their optimal capacity to generate electricity.

Although solar panels perform best with direct sunlight, they can still operate through indirect sunlight, otherwise known as radiation. In any event, a really good storm keeps your PV solar panels operating beautifully, because of the sheer cleaning power of the storm!

Once you own a PV solar system or a solar hot water system, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to make the change! Nothing can stop the effect that load shedding has on every life in South Africa, except for our beautiful sun!

Consider that Europe and other far colder climates are way ahead of us in terms of relying on solar energy, and you’ll have the answer to the question of whether or not solar panels work during the rain.

Get an amazing ROI by contacting Renaissance Solar today!

No matter where you start in terms of the size and type of PV solar system you choose, make sure you contact Renaissance Solar today, just to make sure you never look back on your move to solar energy.

The team at Renaissance Solar will introduce you to SABS-quality PV solar systems and solar hot water systems at affordable prices, based on genuine care for your budget.

You can also chat to them about payment terms on certain installations, along with short payback periods which’ll have you basking in all the sun has to offer in generating electricity for your home or business…never mind the rainy days!

 

So, the burning question here is; can PV panels heat water? Well, the straight and simple answer to this is an unequivocal yes! In fact, if you want hot water generated by the rays of the sun, you can choose between a solar hot water panel and a PV panel in order to do so.

But what are PV panels? Not all of us are solar technicians and geniuses, which makes some of these very basic questions essential to us. This is also why, when heading in the direction of buying a solar hot water system, you need people like those at Renaissance Solar on hand, just to simplify the tech speak.

Some of us just do better with mental pictures created for us by experts, rather than ever being able to understand the real science and technology behind something like a Photovoltaic (PV) panel.

Simply put, PV panels are the solar panels that are mounted on your roof, or wherever is best suited to the solar hot water system you choose. If it’s just for your solar hot water system, the PV panel or array won’t be as big as it would be, if you decide you want more than just hot water from the sun.

This is what a PV panel looks like…well, this is actually what’s called an array of PV panels. What it boils down to, is that each of these ‘rectangular’ panels are one PV panel. There are also different PV panel sizes, but this gives you a general idea of what it looks like.

 

The solar water heating system panel from Renaissance Solar looks like this, as just one example of the difference between the two types of solar panels. There are different sizes of course, but that will depend on your hot water needs. This is the 150lt Flat Plate Close Couple NTS System with an Xstream Geyser.

 

Now that we have that out of the way…

Can PV panels heat water?

While the answer is yes to this question, as discussed above, one has to take into account that the electricity which is generated by the PV panels are, in general, used to power essential household appliances, keep the lights on and keep mobile devices charged.

With every PV panel that you add to your system, and that’s the way to go if you plan on expanding the system over time, you’ll be getting more free electricity from the sun.

Ultimately, this is what most South Africans dream about, a life without load shedding and prohibitively high electricity tariffs from a power giant that can’t be relied on, except for the inevitable increases!

How long do PV panels last?

Oh yes, this is the other awesomeness that comes with investing in PV solar panels! These panels last 25 to 30 years or more; a better return on your investment simply doesn’t exist in the world of solar energy in South Africa!

Let Renaissance Solar lead the way to quality PV solar solutions!

If you’re in the market for quality solar solutions in Cape Town, whether you’re looking at solar water heating systems, Hybrid, Grid Tie and Off Grid PV systems, the team at Renaissance Solar will make it easy for you to make informed decisions, based on their expertise and genuine customer care!

Contact Renaissance Solar today to find out just how easy this team can make it on your budget to invest in solar power!