Our Products
Battery Backup Systems
We supply a range of rechargeable battery-driven power systems, providing 220 volt power via Power Inverters and Uninterruptable Power Systems (UPS).
They include DIY Plug and Play systems which do not require a technician to install.
Solar Panels
We supply a range of solar panels from small to large, arranged and connected in many ways to provide a range of voltages and able to charge any combination of batteries.
Wind Generators
We supply wind generators that will provide power in low or high wind conditions and can be mounted on roofs, poles or on the ground. They are typically used in conjunction with solar panels for charging batteries.
Batteries
We supply a range of batteries, suited to different needs. They power inverters and UPS systems when power is not available from a city or the national grid. They can be recharged either with electricity from the grid or, additionally from solar panels and wind chargers which will extend your off-grid power supply.
BATTERY BACKUP SYSTEMS
Battery backup systems are designed to provide Alternating Current (AC) power as an alternative to Eskom and City-supplied power.
These systems are specifically useful – actually necessary – when power is turned off during loadshedding but are also being increasingly purchased to counter the rising cost of electricity. A carefully considered investment can be low in maintenance cost and save huge amounts of money in the long term.
We offer the following:
Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS)
These are small to medium-sized systems which typically range from 250 watts to 1kw.
The former would be suitable for an internet router with wifi and the 1kw version could power two desktop computers, a router/wifi and some lights or a desktop plus router, TV and DSTV decoder.
Plug and Play 2,4kw (3kva) Inverter
This is a 2.4kw (3KVA) (pure sine wave) inverter. It is plug-and-play which means no technician is required and no Eskom registration is needed.
It is a 24 volt system which would be connected to one or more 24 volt batteries or super capacitors (or pairs or 12 volt units) for power storage. It has a built-in charge controller.
In its simplest configuration, the inverter can be connected to the mains for charging batteries and then run off the batteries to produce 220 volts AC power to continue powering devices and equipment when the mains power is off.
It can optionally be connected to solar panels and/or a wind generator and the free electricity generated can either be used directly through the inverter to produce AC current or be stored in the batteries.
Larger 2-phase Battery Backup Systems
Inverters for these systems range from 5kw to 8kw. Multiple inverters can be employed together to provide any amount of power needed.
These systems would generally be powered by a solar panel array and optionally supplemented by one or more wind generators. They would be wired into your home or business electricity distribution board by an installer.
Wind generators are useful in windy regions, especially on overcast or stormy days when the solar power generation will be reduced or at night and when it ceases altogether.
A system built with this equipment can take you either partially or fully off the grid.
3-phase Battery Backup Systems
3-phase Inverters are available in 10kw and 12kw units. The current is split over the 3 phases, with each phase receiving a proportion of the whole. Multiple inverters can be employed together to provide any amount of power needed.
These systems would typically be powered by a solar panel array and optionally supplemented by one or more wind generators. They would be wired into your home or business electricity distribution board by an installer.
Wind generators are useful in windy regions, especially on overcast or stormy days when the solar power generation will be reduced or at night and when it ceases altogether.
A system built with this equipment can take you either partially or fully off the grid.
Lit up by our battery backup system during loadshedding
SOLAR PANELS
Solar panels are in capacities ranging from 10 watts to 450 watts each. They can be connected in series or parallel, depending on customer requirements and the specifications of the charge controller for battery systems or inverters.
Panels can be mounted on rooftops, carports,poles or standalone on the ground (e.g. on farm fields) using brackets and railings to suit your application and roof shape. All materials used are stainless steel or aluminium.
WIND GENERATORS
A Wind Generator fills the gap that Solar energy cannot provide at night time and when we have rainy, windy weather
The unit shown below is a vertical wind charger rated at 2kW but more realistically it can produce between 500 – 1000 watts. The good thing is it can produce energy 24/7 as long as there is some wind. It starts to produce electricity at a low wind speed of 4 meters per second. It needs to feed its output though a charge controller.
BATTERIES
There are many types of battery but only three that we consider sensible to use in renewable and battery backup systems:
Lead Acid Deep Cycle
Unlike car and truck batteries, deep cycle batteries are not designed to provide the quick boost of power needed to start a vehicle but rather to discharge more slowly.
They come in 12 volt units and can be connected in series and parallel with any number of other similar batteries to produce whatever voltage and discharge time is needed.
A big disadvantage is that they can last as little as two years if cycled very frequently.
Compared to other battery types, there are a few other disadvantages too:
- They are heavy and need more space than other types per kw of power stored and produced
- The can be overcharged and produce hydrogen gas which is highly explosive – they have no built-in protection
- They should only be discharged to 50% of their capacity on each cycle, otherwise their life would be drastically shortened. So you are only getting half of the nominal capacity of the battery and may need more of them to meet your needs.
Lithium Iron Phosphate
These are more expensive than lead acid batteries – around double the price – but typically last up to three times longer depending on how many times they are cycled.
They have a number of advantages over lead acid batteries:
- They are much safer as they cannot be over-charged due to built-in safety protection mechanisms to detect overcharging, overheating and under-charging. They will shut down charging if a problem is detected.
- They can be bought in 12, 24 and 48 volts units.
- They can be discharged to 90% of their capacity, thereby providing far more value per kw than lead acid.
- They are more compact – take up less space per kw capacity.
- They last up to three times longer, as mentioned above.
Super Capacitors
Three to four times more expensive than Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries but are well worth the expenditure if you have the budget.
They have a number of advantages over all other batteries:
- They contain no chemicals and are therefore safer than other options.
- They will experience no deterioration in your lifetime.
- They have an extremely long life, estimated at one million cycles. So if you charged and discharged a super capacitor four times a day, that would be 1460 cycles in a year. At that rate, a Super Capacitor would continue working for 684 years.
- They are therefore supplied with lengthy warranties.
A 7kw unit takes up just over half of a cubic metre – 50cm x 50cm x 30cm high. That’s about the same space required for Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries.
SERVICE AND SUPPORT
We are happy to provide service on systems you may already own and help with any issues or problems you may be experiencing.
We provide 24 hour support for products we have supplied.
