Residential
Homes
- 10 kW standard home system
- Hybrid backup for essential circuits during grid failures
- Fox ESS, Victron, Sunsynk and Deye inverters
- Certificate of Compliance for every installation
Solar · residential, commercial & industrial
Solar for Homes, Businesses and Industry.
All Electrical Contractors designs and installs residential, commercial and industrial solar in Plettenberg Bay and along the Garden Route: hybrid, grid-tied and off-grid systems sized from your electricity bills, roof space and backup needs.
Solar at Every Scale.
AEC installs solar at every scale, from a 10 kW home system to three-phase commercial and industrial installations, with the same licensed workmanship and Certificate of Compliance.
Commercial
Businesses
- Offices, shops, guest houses and restaurants
- Cut daytime electricity costs while the business is open
- Backup power for critical business loads
- East–west panel layouts to match morning and afternoon demand
Industrial
Industrial and Agricultural
- Factories, workshops, warehouses and farms
- Three-phase solar and battery systems sized to site demand
- Battery storage to manage peak demand
- Generator integration for remote sites
Businesses may qualify for SARS tax allowances on renewable energy assets. Check with your tax practitioner.
Case studyHow a 45 kW system keeps a Plettenberg Bay factory running through grid failures
Why Solar Works in South Africa.
According to the South African Department of Energy, most areas of the country average more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, with solar radiation of 4.5 to 6.5 kWh/m² per day, among the highest in the world.
Electricity tariffs rise every year, and solar panels have no moving parts, so maintenance is minimal. When AEC designs your system, it allows for winter's short days, rain and cloud, so the system is sized for the whole year, not just summer.
Getting Started in Three Steps.
These three questions decide the size and cost of your system. AEC works through them with you before quoting.
Step 1
How Much Energy Do You Need?
- Your last three months of electricity bills show what is viable
- A hybrid system works alongside the grid, so it doesn't have to cover your whole load
- Decide which essential circuits must run during grid failures
- Backup duration sets the battery size
Step 2
How Much Roof Space?
- Energy produced depends on usable roof area
- Spare ground space or a carport can hold panels too
- Higher-wattage panels produce more in the same area
Step 3
Which Way Does Your Roof Face?
- True north is ideal in the southern hemisphere
- East- and west-facing roofs still produce well
- East–west layouts produce more evenly through the day
- AEC measures sunlight on site before installing panels
Hybrid, Grid-Tied or Off-Grid?
The hybrid system is the most popular choice: it combines solar, battery and grid, so you get backup power without the cost of going fully off-grid.
| System | How it works | Grid failures | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Solar panels, battery and grid work together. Surplus can charge the battery or feed back to the grid. | Essential circuits keep running from the battery. | Most homes: backup power and lower bills on a realistic budget. |
| Grid-tied | Solar panels feed your home and the grid. No battery. | Switches off during a grid failure, even in full sun. | Cutting daytime bills at the lowest cost. |
| Off-grid | Solar panels and batteries only, with no grid connection. Excess energy is wasted once the battery is full. | Unaffected, because there is no grid supply. | Remote sites or owners prepared to invest in a large system. |
Feeding energy back to the grid requires registering your system with your municipality as Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG). Each municipality sets its own credit rates and rules. A municipal availability charge usually still applies while you are connected to the grid.
A Home Solar System, at a Glance.
Panels produce DC power. The inverter converts it to AC power for your home, charges the battery, and exchanges power with the grid. The battery stores energy for the evening and during grid failures.
Panels are rated under ideal test conditions (25 °C, perfect tilt and direction), so real-world output is lower, especially in winter, when peak sunlight drops to about 4 to 6 hours a day.
Compare the Fox ESS, Victron, Sunsynk and Deye systems AEC installsInverters & batteries · four brands
Inverters and Batteries, Sized to Your Property.
AEC supplies and installs Fox ESS, Victron Energy, Sunsynk and Deye inverters and lithium batteries for homes and businesses in Plettenberg Bay and along the Garden Route, and recommends the brand that fits your budget, backup needs and expansion plans.
Which Brand Suits You?
All four keep essential circuits running during grid failures. They differ in battery type, how modular they are, and how far they scale.
| Brand | Best known for | Battery type | Home range | Monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox ESS | High-voltage hybrids and all-in-one units | High-voltage LFP | 3 kW to 11 kW | FoxCloud app |
| Victron | Modular off-grid and backup systems | 12V, 24V or 48V | 3,000 VA to 15,000 VA | VRM portal (Cerbo GX) |
| Sunsynk | 48V hybrids with matching batteries | 48V LiFePO4 | 3.6 kW to 8 kW single-phase | Wi-Fi monitoring |
| Deye | 48V hybrids with generator support | 48V lithium (LFP) | 3.6 kW to 10 kW | Wi-Fi monitoring |
High-voltage hybrids · all-in-one
Fox ESS.
Fox ESS pairs hybrid inverters with high-voltage lithium batteries for high round-trip efficiency, and offers all-in-one systems that combine the inverter and battery in one unit. Monitoring is through the FoxCloud app.
Hybrid inverter · single-phase
H1 (G2)
- 3 kW to 6 kW models
- High-voltage LFP batteries
- IP65, suitable for outdoor installation
- Up to 10 units in parallel
Hybrid inverter · single-phase
KH Series
- 7 kW to 10.5 kW models
- Certified to NRS 097-2-1
- Backup switching under 10 ms
- Up to 4 solar inputs (MPPTs)
All-in-one system
EVO 10
- Inverter and 10.24 kWh LFP battery in one unit
- 5 kW to 10 kW models
- 95% depth of discharge
- IP66, floor or wall mounted
All-in-one system · modular
Stackable AIO (PowerQ)
- 3.7 kW to 11 kW models
- Battery modules stack beneath the inverter
- IP66, suitable for outdoor installation
- Plug-and-play configuration
High-voltage battery
EP5
- 5.18 kWh LFP (lithium iron phosphate)
- Expand to 20.8 kWh with 4 units
- 90% depth of discharge
- Works with H1 and KH inverters
High-voltage battery
EP11
- 10.36 kWh LFP (lithium iron phosphate)
- Expand to 41.6 kWh with 4 units
- 90% depth of discharge
- Works with H1 and KH inverters
Images and specifications from Fox ESS South Africa (za.fox-ess.com). Model availability changes; AEC confirms the right model and stock before quoting.
Modular · off-grid · backup
Victron Energy.
Victron Energy builds modular systems from separate components: an inverter/charger, a solar charge controller and a monitoring hub. That flexibility suits off-grid homes, farms and larger backup systems. Victron products carry a 5-year standard warranty. See our three-phase Victron factory installation
Inverter/charger
MultiPlus-II
- 3,000 VA to 15,000 VA models
- Uninterrupted AC power (UPS function)
- PowerAssist boosts a weak grid or generator supply
- ESS mode for solar self-consumption
Solar charge controller
SmartSolar MPPT
- Charges batteries from solar panels
- Maximum power point tracking (MPPT)
- Built-in Bluetooth for the VictronConnect app
- Pairs with MultiPlus-II systems
Monitoring hub
Cerbo GX
- Monitors and controls the whole system
- Free VRM portal: check your system from anywhere
- Optional GX Touch display
- Scheduled charging for grid tariffs
Images and specifications from Victron Energy (victronenergy.com). Model availability changes; AEC confirms the right model and stock before quoting.
48V hybrids · lithium batteries
Sunsynk.
Sunsynk hybrid inverters manage solar, battery, grid and generator power for homes on a standard single-phase supply, with larger and three-phase models for bigger properties. Sunsynk's 48V lithium batteries communicate directly with its inverters.
Hybrid inverter · single-phase
Sunsynk Hybrid Inverters
- 3.6 kW to 8 kW for standard single-phase homes
- Larger and three-phase models for bigger properties
- Dual MPPT solar inputs
- IP65, indoor or outdoor installation
48V lithium battery
Sunsynk Batteries
- 48V LiFePO4 units from 5.1 kWh to 10.2 kWh
- Scale up to 81.6 kWh
- IP65, indoor or sheltered outdoor installation
- 10-year product warranty as standard
Installed by AEC
Twin Sunsynk System
- Two Sunsynk hybrid inverters
- Two Sunsynk lithium batteries
- Isolators and protection on one tidy wall
Images and specifications from Sunsynk (sunsynk.org). Model availability changes; AEC confirms the right model and stock before quoting.
48V hybrids · generator ready
Deye.
Deye's single-phase low-voltage hybrid inverters run on 48V lithium batteries, can store energy from a diesel generator, and can run up to 16 units in parallel for larger systems.
Hybrid inverter · single-phase
SUN-SG05LP1
- 3.6 kW to 10 kW models
- 48V lithium batteries
- Up to 16 units in parallel
- Generator support, IP65 rated, 97.6% peak efficiency
48V lithium battery
SE-G5.1 Pro-B
- 5.12 kWh LFP module, 51.2 V
- Up to 64 modules in parallel (327 kWh)
- Rack-mounted, for indoor installation (IP20)
- Pairs with Deye low-voltage hybrids
Images and specifications from Deye (deye.com). Model availability changes; AEC confirms the right model and stock before quoting.
Recent Installations.
Solar, inverter and battery systems installed by AEC along the Garden Route. Each installation is designed around the property, the equipment and the space available.
Based in Plettenberg Bay. AEC installs solar for homes and businesses along the Garden Route.
Solar Questions, Answered.
What Garden Route homeowners and businesses ask AEC most, from system types to inverter brands and repairs.
What Is the Difference Between Hybrid, Grid-Tied and Off-Grid Solar?
There are three types of 10 kW solar system. A 10 kW hybrid system combines solar panels, a battery and the grid, so it keeps your essential circuits running during grid failures and can export surplus power. A 10 kW grid-tied system has no battery, which makes it the most affordable, but it shuts down during grid failures, even in full sun. A 10 kW off-grid system has no grid connection at all and runs only on panels and batteries, so it needs the most battery storage and the biggest budget.
What Size Solar System Does My Home Need?
AEC's standard home system is 10 kW. Share your last three months of electricity bills and the appliances you want to run during a grid failure, and AEC will set the battery capacity by how long you want backup power to last.
Will Solar Keep My Power On During Grid Failures?
A hybrid or off-grid system with a battery keeps the circuits connected to it running during grid failures. A grid-tied system without a battery switches off during a grid failure, even in full sun.
What Is the Difference Between Load Shedding and a Grid Failure?
Load shedding is a planned, scheduled power cut, made in rotating blocks to protect the national grid when supply runs short. A grid failure is any loss of grid power, planned or not, including load shedding, network faults, storm damage, cable theft and substation failures. A hybrid system with a battery keeps your essential circuits running through both.
Can I Feed Excess Solar Power Back Into the Grid?
Yes, if your system is registered with your municipality as Small-Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG). Credit rates and approval rules are set by each municipality.
Do I Get a Certificate of Compliance for My Solar Installation?
Yes. AEC is a licensed electrical contractor registered with the Electrical Contracting Association of South Africa (ECA), and every installation is issued with a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) that you can submit to your insurer and local authority.
Does AEC Install Solar in Plettenberg Bay and the Garden Route?
Yes. All Electrical Contractors is based in Plettenberg Bay and installs residential, commercial and industrial solar along the Garden Route.
Does AEC Install Commercial and Industrial Solar?
Yes. AEC designs and installs commercial and industrial solar for offices, shops, guest houses, factories, workshops and farms along the Garden Route, including three-phase systems with battery storage. Each system is sized from the site's electricity bills and demand.
Which Inverter Brand Is Best for My Home?
It depends on your home and goals. Fox ESS suits homeowners who want high-voltage batteries or an all-in-one unit; Victron suits off-grid and highly customised systems; Sunsynk and Deye suit 48V battery systems on a standard single-phase supply, with Deye also supporting generators. AEC recommends a brand and size after reviewing your electricity bills and backup needs.
What Is the Difference Between High-Voltage and Low-Voltage (48V) Batteries?
High-voltage batteries, such as Fox ESS EP5 and EP11, run at a few hundred volts, which reduces current and losses between the battery and inverter. Low-voltage 48V batteries, used with Sunsynk, Deye and most Victron systems, are widely available and easy to expand module by module. Both use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry.
Which Brands Keep My Power On During Grid Failures?
All four. Fox ESS, Victron, Sunsynk and Deye hybrid and inverter/charger systems switch essential circuits to battery power during a grid failure. Backup time depends on battery capacity and the load you run.
Can I Add More Batteries Later?
Yes, with every brand AEC installs. Fox ESS EP batteries expand to four units, Sunsynk 48V batteries scale up to 81.6 kWh, Deye SE-G5.1 Pro-B modules run up to 64 in parallel, and Victron systems are modular by design. AEC plans room for expansion at installation.
Do These Brands Cover Commercial and Industrial Systems?
Yes. Fox ESS, Sunsynk and Deye all make three-phase hybrid inverters for commercial and industrial sites, with Sunsynk's range reaching 80 kW, and Victron MultiPlus-II units can be combined into three-phase systems. AEC sizes commercial and industrial systems from the site's demand.
Can AEC Repair or Service an Existing Inverter System?
Yes. AEC diagnoses solar, inverter and battery faults on site, including systems AEC did not originally install. If a unit needs a factory-level repair, AEC works directly with the manufacturer's repair technicians and arranges to send the unit away if necessary. Describe the brand, model and fault when you enquire.
Discuss Solar for Your Home or Business.
Have your last three months of electricity bills handy. AEC sizes every system from your bills, roof space and backup needs.
Business Hours
Monday–Friday8am–5pm
Saturday–SundayBy appointment
Tell AEC About Your Solar Project
Your enquiry is emailed straight to AEC. Attach a photo of your electricity bill, your roof, or an inverter's label or error screen below if it helps. Prefer to talk? Call 060 367 3774.