Simplifying solar system installation can lead to faster adoption

The decision to move solar is often quite difficult for first time solar users. What solar panel to get, which battery to purchase and which inverter to pair it with? Across Africa this is the biggest problem that is delaying the adoption of solar. Forget about access to finance for now. We all know that is the biggest hurdle, which we have little control over. But those who can afford to buy their own system are making big mistakes that cost them a fortune because they are buying inappropriate products or just cheap quality immitations. Getting the right products is the first step to getting the best out of your solar system.

Solar panels are getting bigger and bigger. This article explains why. Infact its quite difficult now to find smaller panels on the market. I think this is a big problem that can be addressed. Some manufacturers are starting to make 700 watt solar panels. 370 to 545 watt modules are now more common. Many people we interact with call us and want to buy the largest solar panel without knowing what it means in terms of voltage and current or compatibility with available inverters. The fact that they are asking means they have made the decision already to move to solar. This is a good thing. While that excites us it also worries us as many others dont ask first and simply walk into a store and buy the largest panel they can get and move on to the next step of trying to identify which battery or inverter goes with it.

Simplifying solar / Solarsimplified is our tag line at Solarpro Zimbabwe and everyday we are trying to make easier for those who want to go solar to do so with minimum hussles. get We still get a lot of questions around which solar panel can power my refrigerator, TV, Pump, stove etc. How long will my battery last? These questions show that there is still a huge knowledge gap in the market when it comes to solar.

When we receive such calls, we say to the customer hang on. Who is installing the system for you? What have you already bought and why? Who told you to buy that? What reasearch have you done? Do you know that you could be wasting your money? Customers are always shopping for a cheaper price / great deal. Just as they bargain when buying something from the local market. Unfortunately solar was never designed to be bought off the shelf, although that is changing with the introduction of small solar home systems that come already integrated with batteries and a suitable solar panel. I will talk about these another day. Suffice to say there are many out there. A story I read recently about them left me curious to want to find out more.

Learning about how solar works is your first step to undestanding whether its the right choice for you. This is why we have a help desk at Solarpro. It is designed to help users learn about how solar works before they decide what to do. Unfortunately for many solar product buyers they make the mistake of buying then learning from their often not so good choices made with inadequate information.

Just today I received a call from a customer who had bought a 240 AH Omni Power battery direct from a supplier in South Africa (quite a good battery by the way). The customer was now now shopping for solar panel and asked me. "Which solar panel goes with my battery?" Aside from saying to myself here we go again, I did what I always do? "That is a good battery, where do you want to use it? and Why are you buying parts piecemeal?" The client did acknowledge that they were not too sure. When the client discovers their mistake they are quick to thank me and promise to call back. Many customers want to make shortcuts when it comes to solar and soon discover that solar doesnt work that way. They think they are saving a few dollars and it may appear so but most of the time they are being led down the garden path by an installer who is just after their installation fee.

This saddens me. A solar battery that big costs around USD420 in South Africa. This amount is enough to buy our cheapest DIY solar system designed to power 3 lights, a fan, charge 2 or three phones or even a small wireless radio. Infact the customer will remain with USD40 to buy whatever they want, which is a lot of money in a small rural household in Africa. So long as the load is within 280 watts the small system work. It comes with an easy to connect 150 watt solar panel to charge the 600 wh battery and an inbuilt AC charger which can be used in areas where there is grid power or a generator. The Solarpro Powerbox 350 is our first attempt at simplifying solar and we will continue to improve on its functionality.

We will also continue to educate customers on the best way to go solar via our website and through our frequeant interactions on the phone with our sales team at Solarpro. Its not easy to sell solar products because users often come with their own perceptions which we try and correct and then work on convincing them on the right route to take. Some take our advise others think they know better but often reliase their mistake and come back because they want their system to work for them.

I am always looking for ways to simplify solar with my team and will be happy to hear your thoughts or ideas on how we can simplify solar and make it easy.Also happy to discuss new products or collaboration opportunities. I am reachable on +263718924393 or via our website.