The amount of power that you have available to use is dependent upon two things - the number and size of your solar panels, and the size of your battery bank. The size of your battery bank dictates how much power you can store. This capacity is fixed, regardless of how many solar panels you have. The number and size of your solar panels (the total wattage) dictates the rate at which you can fill those batteries. Ideally you should have a system sized to match your usage, which would see your battery bank being filled to capacity sometime during an average day, which will in turn give you power during the night when there is no electricity being generated from your solar panels. The problem that you have here is that your system is sized too small for your needs - that is, you are using more electricity than you are generating from your panels. The solution is to either reduce your power consumption to match your power generating abilities, or to increase the size of your panels and/or your battery bank to give you the extra capacity that you require. Note: Frequently draining lead/acid batteries can lead to a substantially reduced lifespan for them, so this situation should be remedied sooner rather than later.
2. Sometimes when I run an appliance like a vacuum cleaner or a stove, the power cuts out.
The problem here is that you are overloading your inverter which is shutting down automatically to prevent damage to itself. The inverter is rated at a certain wattage (i.e. 2500 Watts or 2.5kw). This means that it can handle supplying that much electricity at once. If you use one or more appliances whose total power requirements exceed the power that your inverter can supply, then it will automatically shut down (i.e. running a 2000watt vaccuum cleaner and a 600watt circular saw will draw 2600 watts of power). Depending on the model, the inverter may automatically reset, or you may have to manually reset it. The solution is to either manage your power usage by ensuring that you do not exceed the delivery capacity of your inverter, or if this is not possible, then to upgrade your inverter to one with a higher capacity.
3. I can't afford to spend a lot of money, can I get secondhand components?
Yes, it is possible, but you need to be aware of a few things up front. Firstly, you should have no problem if you buy secondhand electronic components such as inverters or regulators - just make sure that they are fully working before you buy them. Secondhand solar panels are very hard to come by and often fetch quite a high price, which often makes them not worth buying. Solar panels have a rated life of usually around 25 years, so you need to consider their age before buying them. You also need to check that they are undamaged and are still generating at close to their rated power output. You need to be very careful when buying secondhand lead/acid batteries as these have a much shorter lifespan - only around 10-15 years or less if they were not managed well. You won't really ever know if they are good or will collapse tomorrow and you will have no warranty to fall back on. Having said that, it is possible to save money by buying secondhand equipment, you just have to be careful. If you are looking to set up a new solar installation, you will also not be eligible for the full SEDA rebate if you have secondhand components. Additionally, we cannot provide a warranty against secondhand components or against any damage done to other components of your system caused by them
4. I've got six 80-watt solar panels. Why aren't I generating 3.84kw of power during 8 hours of daylight?
The rating of the solar panels shows the maximum power output they can provide under ideal conditions (i.e. full sunlight directly on the panel). Several things can affect the panels ability to generate power at this rate: Firstly, the panel needs to be directly facing the sun to get the maximum amount of energy to convert into electricity. If your panels are fixed-mounted, then this will only occur when the sun is directly overhead for a short period during the day. Mounting the panels on a tracker will solve this problem. Secondly, the local weather conditions affect the amount of energy actually reaching the panels. Cloudy or hazy days will result in less power being generated. You cannot do anything about this I'm afraid (except perhaps move to a sunnier part of the country). Thirdly, there are physical obstacles such as trees and buildings that block light from the sun during part or all of the day. You can either move the solar panels so that they are unobstructed, or remove the obstruction (i.e. trim or remove the offending trees). Finally, you need to keep the glass on the panels clean and free from excessive scratching so that the light reaching the glass is able to actually reach the panel.
