Question 1

How much does a solar system cost in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

A residential backup and savings system typically starts around R120 000 for a small hybrid installation and scales with panel capacity and battery size. Commercial and industrial plants are quoted per kWp after a metered load assessment. Every HOBYS EMPIRE quotation is itemised so you can see hardware, installation, compliance and monitoring separately.

Question 2

How long does installation take?

Accepted Answer

Most residential installations are completed in two to four working days after equipment delivery. Commercial rooftops typically run two to six weeks depending on scale, structural work and municipal approvals. We confirm a milestone schedule before work begins.

Question 3

Will my system keep working during load shedding?

Accepted Answer

Yes, provided your design includes battery storage. Hybrid and off-grid systems switch to battery supply in under 20 milliseconds, so essential circuits stay live. Grid-tied systems without batteries save money but shut down when the grid drops, for safety and compliance reasons.

Question 4

Do you provide a Certificate of Compliance?

Accepted Answer

Always. Our registered electricians issue a Certificate of Compliance for every installation, in line with SANS 10142-1. This is essential for insurance cover and any future property sale.

Question 5

What finance options are available?

Accepted Answer

Rent-to-own, instalment finance, asset finance and zero-capex power purchase agreements. We package your application and submit it to the best-fit lending partner. Approval is at the lender's discretion.

Question 6

Why do you need my electricity bill?

Accepted Answer

Your bill reveals actual consumption, tariff structure and demand charges. Sizing a system from a bill and a load profile rather than a guess is the single biggest factor in achieving the savings we promise.

Question 7

Do you service the whole of South Africa?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We deliver projects nationally across all nine provinces from our Sandton base, with regional installation and support partners for ongoing maintenance.

Question 8

What warranties apply?

Accepted Answer

Tier-1 panels typically carry 25-year performance warranties, inverters five to ten years, and LiFePO4 batteries a defined cycle-life warranty. Our workmanship is warranted separately, and all documentation is loaded into your customer portal.

Question 9

Can you upgrade or repair a system installed by someone else?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We audit inherited installations, correct non-compliant work, expand array or battery capacity and take over monitoring and maintenance under a service plan.

Question 10

Do you handle municipal and SSEG applications?

Accepted Answer

We do. Where grid-tied or feed-in registration is required, we prepare and submit the Small-Scale Embedded Generation application and supporting technical documentation on your behalf.

Question 11

How is a Power Purchase Agreement different from buying?

Accepted Answer

Under a PPA we fund, own, insure and maintain the plant on your property. You pay only for the electricity generated, at a rate below your utility tariff, with no capital outlay. Ownership can transfer at the end of the term by agreement.

Question 12

How do I track my project?

Accepted Answer

Every client receives customer portal access showing quotation status, finance progress, installation milestones, live system performance, downloadable documents and maintenance scheduling.

Frequently asked questions about going solar

Everything clients usually ask first

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