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Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Power

PV Solar Systems Solar Water Heating

What are the different types of rooftop solar PV systems? Will I have hot water in winter? What is the advantage of using a solar geyser as opposed to converting my existing geyser? How hot does the water get with a solar water heating system? Which is better – flat plate or evacuated tube systems? Will I be able to use my old geyser? Does a solar water heating system require maintenance? Why should I purchase a PV system? Does solar water heating generate any electricity? What is a PV Solar System? How does evacuated tube technology work? Evacuated tubes get too hot in South African conditions - is this true? Why should water reaching my hot water taps be less than 55 degrees? Will I have hot water at night? I want a Solar System to feed electricity back into the Eskom grid and earn money from it Why do professional Solar Companies charge for Solar System designs? My heighbour was told by a so-called "Solar Company" that they can change his entire house tp PV Solar for less than R30 000? What is the cost of replacing Eskom with a PV Solar system for my house? What is the difference between a "SINEWAVE" and "SQUAREWAVE / MODIFIED SINEWAVE" inverter? What type of battery must I use in a standby system? How does Solar Water Heating work? What is the guarantee period? Will I still have hot water on the days when the sun doesn’t shine? What will a solar water heating system cost? How long will it take for my solar water heating system to pay for itself? Doesn’t the power required for the pump cancel out the electricity saved in the geyser? What is the difference between a thermosiphon system and a pumped system? How is the pump powered? What is the life expectancy of our systems? What is the difference between flat plate and evacuated tube systems? How much can a solar water heating system save me? Will my pumped system heat water during a power outage? How long does an installation take? What about the wind blowing the collector off the roof? Does the geyser have to go on the roof as well? Will my roof be able to hold all of that weight if I do decide to put the geyser on the roof? Will the installation affect my house warranty? What are the advantages of having the geyser on the roof? How long have evacuated tubes been around? What is an Inverter? What’s the difference between PV and other solar energy technologies? How do I decide what size system to install? Why do I need a timer switch for my solar water heating system? Which way does the collector have to face? What pitch does the collector have to be at? What if the pitch of my roof is less than 25 degrees? What type of battery must i use in a solar system? Why is it advisable to have a controller? How do evacuated tubes compare to flat plate collectors with regards to efficiency? What is a Backup System? What is Photovoltaic or "PV" Can I install a solar water heating system if I live in an area that experiences frost?