What, How and Why an Inverter at Home?

Loadshedding has become an accepted part of life as a South African over the past decade but this lastest bout over the past two months has been particularly brutal with many areas being without power for up to 7.5 hours per day when stage four is implemented.

Eskom Chief Operation Officer, Jan Oberholzer has warned that the unpredictability and unreliability of the system brings large risks with demand outstripping what Eskom is able to produce.

While all this has been going on more and more of us have been looking into alternative methods to keep our houses and offices functioning; long gone are the days where we'd just make do with a couple of candles and your phone torch and ride on your mobile data for a bit. Unsurprisingly how much power you need depends greatly what appliances you want to keep running but it is worth noting that geysers, stoves, dishwashers and washing machines should not be connected to any inverter system.

As estate agents, we often get asked whether properties are equipped with an invertor or alternative energy source. To share our knowledge and more info on costs associated we've called on Cape Inverters local specialists who have recently seen a four fold increase in demand for their services over the past couple of months to shed some much needed light. 

How does an inverter work?

Using batteries an inverter converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) electricity that is used to power equipment designed to be powered by mains electricity. The batteries will be charged with Eskom power and when loadshedding hits the batteries start to power the devices that they're connected to.

How much does it cost? 

An entry level 'plug and play' system that operates in just one room and isn't connected to the db board starts at R 13 500 This will be sufficient to power one light, Wi-Fi and a TV.

For a one bedroom apartment a R 35 000 system would power a couple of lights/plugs and will keep you online and the TV on.

For larger homes there are R 70 000 and R 105 000 options dependent on having a 5kva or 7.2kva inverter and whether you opt for one or two batteries. These both allow for immediate switchover for all of your electrics apart from the excluded appliances.

Note: whichever system you choose, remember to insist on the installer to issue an electrical compliance certificate for the work carried out. 

Does an inverter add value to my property? 

Whilst it is an attractive selling point, it depends on the quality and age of your system at the date of sale of your property. Like any battery, an inverter has a lifespan. Therefore it is important to find out upfront what sort of a guarantee your installer provides. 

Adding solar photovoltaic cells (PV) means you can save on electricity costs which will in time cover the cost of your inverter system and save you on rising electricity costs over the long term. A more costly installation all together but a noteworthy investment making the most of the sun and being kinder towards the environment. We'll cover more of this in future.