FAQs

There are more than 10 000 different solar brands today. Very few are reliable though.

There are a number of global general standards and certification bodies that are used on solar products. Some standards will depend on your location. Typical standards to look for on solar panels include IEC, TUV and SA certification.

With inverters check for the following IEC, CEC, VDE.

Certifications only work as a guide to eliminate obvious operation and integration problems. However this does not guarantee zero failure rate.

The size of your solution largely depends on your requirements, and budget!

For a residential solution the sizing standard is in kW (1000W) relating to the total wattage produced by the panels. An average home of four people will run on 3kW without the use of artificial heating and cooling, which can easily double or quadruple the required size.

Popular panel sizes are 330W, 360W and 400W hence a 3kW system usually comes with 6 to 8 panels.

Batteries come in two basic technologies, Lithium or Lead.

The lead based battery types are tried, tested and predictable. With a lifespan of 3 to 5 years and coming in a simple box these batteries are the easiest to work with. Typical variations include the Gel cell, AGM, Valve Regulated Lead Acid VRLA and the flooded.

The latest technology in batteries is the Lithium ion technology which a group of tiny AA size batteries interconnected to make a large battery. These batteries introduce some advantages absent in Lead based batteries but also come with new product problems; integration, exaggerated perfomance and very high cost.

The basic solar system configuration is a as follows:

1. Installation
2. Basic Requirements

Before any installation can begin the four basic building blocks (solar panels, charge controller, inverter, batteries) should be ready for assembly. Accessories or balance of system requirements will include cabling to interconnect the parts together, mounting structures for the panels (Never leave them hanging on the roof!) and some cable management would be nice.

Where to start?

In the simplest terms you are basically daisy chaining the components with two strings of cable

1. Connect the batteries together in the correct sequence, parallel for 12V configurations and series for 24V to 96V solutions.
2. Test the battery output. Use a test meter at every stage to verify output
3. If correct and corresponding to inverter DC input, proceed to make the connection. Positive cable to positive terminal of the inverter and the same for the negative.
4. Connect the charge controller to the battery setup. Positive to positive and negative once again. For integrated or hybrid inverters this connection is done once to the inverter.
5. Attach extensions cables to the panels and run the cables to the controller. There will be a spark, it's normal.
6. Remove to test the cable ouput and match with required voltage before every connection.
7. All Done :)

Switching on the power

1. Switch on the inverter. An LED signal should be visible on the inverter
2. For simple connections attach an adaptor to the back of the inverter.
3. Connect your appliances to the adaptor and you are sorted
4. For more complicated systems where the output power has to integrate with the central power circuit we recommend contacting a certified electrician.
5. All Done :)

Safety

Solar power is electricity. Treat all circuits as live during any stage of the process. Do you need help with a live installation. You can contact us on info@sescosupport.com. Response time 48 hrs.

Importing Demo Content

After activating the theme, there'll be suggested plugin listed at the top (if there aren't, you can go to 'Appearance > Install Plugins' section as well ).
Try installing and activating these following plugins ( as it effects the importing process ). You can also install all suggested plugins at this step as well.

Then, go to 'Appearance > Gecko Sample Data > Choose Layout > Import Demo Data'

Follow the steps mentioned on the screen, then, you'll get the site like the demo :)

Can't import demo sample date

You can add below code in function.php line 2 in themes/gecko/function.php and try import again. This problem of hosting limit memory. After import complete you can remove code.

ini_set('memory_limit','128M');

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The causes can be broken down into circuit failure and component failure.

When no power reaches some component of the solar system, in essence the battery, you will need to trace where the break in the network lies. If you have a test meter test power at every connection point. Disconnect every component and test power flow through the cabling.

Using this simple method you should be able to identify where the power stops flowing. This can be a cable break, a faulty MPPT or a stone cold dead battery. In the case of an MPPT controller you may have to replace the whole unit, even the hybrid units.

Batteries are like car tyres. The more you use them, the less reliable they become.

It's very common for batteries to lose half their initial storage capacity within a year. This is a result of an irreversible chemical reaction called sulphation which is a by product of the battery charging and recharging process.

Although sulphation happens to every battery, it is accelerated in some batteries by deep discharge and shallow discharge patterns. Rapid power demand caused by surge appliances (especially the refrigerator) is the most common accelerant of the sulphation process.

Solution: Managing Sulphation

Before sulphation happens consider the following preventive measure: 1. Overbudget on your batteries, when your solution requires 2 batteries make them 4 particularly when running heavy appliances. 2. Switch off the inverter when you get a low battery alarm To avoid headaches, be prepared to replace your batteries every 18 to 24 months regardless of what the sales man tells you.

Shutdown on Startup

Error usually a result of power shortfall in the batteries caused by insufficient charge

Solution

Recharge battery, if this doesn't work you may have to replace the battery

No response on startup

Battery voltage is too low to start the inverter. Irreversible battery damage is the most common cause.

Solution

Replace the battery

Likely causes: Over voltage, Lightning, Poor Connection

Always check the name plate of the inverter to avoid exceeding the voltage limits.

We recommend you hire an installer to connect more sophisticated inverters like the Axpert and Victron models.