Resources
Understand solar before you talk to anyone.
Straight answers to the questions people usually ask before they're ready for a quote — no sales pitch, just the plain-English version.
Frequently asked questions.
What's the difference between hybrid and off-grid solar?
A hybrid system stays connected to the grid and uses a battery for backup and savings. A fully off-grid system runs independently of the grid entirely — a bigger, more expensive undertaking than most people expect. See how we work this out for your property →
What is a Certificate of Compliance, and why does it matter?
It's the legal sign-off confirming your electrical work is safe and up to standard. We issue one on every installation we complete, without exception — most insurers will ask to see it.
Can I join Solar Care if someone else installed my system?
Yes. Because we didn't install it, we'll need to verify it in person first — an initial on-site inspection so we can confirm what's installed, its current condition and the right Solar Care option for your system. We'll let you know if that visit carries a cost before you join. Pricing follows the same rule as any property: R199/month or R2,388/year for residential systems up to 24 panels, with an individual quote for larger residential or commercial systems. See how Solar Care works →
What's included in Solar Care, and what isn't?
Included: your Solar Passport, Health Score, unlimited portal access, document storage, maintenance reminders, fault logging, one Annual Solar Health Check (covering your panels, wiring, inverter, battery and earthing), one panel cleaning per year (difficult or specialist-access installations may need an additional quote), and discounted member labour rates. Not included: additional site visits, repairs, replacement parts, emergency call-outs and electrical upgrades — these are always quoted separately. See the full breakdown →
How does billing and cancellation work?
Solar Care is R199/month or R2,388/year, for residential systems up to 24 panels — larger residential and commercial systems get an individual quote instead. Monthly bills automatically with no lock-in — cancel anytime from your account, and it stops future charges immediately; the current paid month isn't refunded, but you keep access until it ends. Annual is paid upfront for a fixed 12-month period and doesn't renew automatically — no further payment is taken unless you choose to renew, and if you don't, your Solar Passport and service history remain accessible after coverage ends.
Do you only work in Pretoria?
We're based in Pretoria, with completed installations across South Africa. Day-to-day site visits and service are centred on Pretoria and Gauteng, with travel charges applying further out.
What's different about a commercial installation?
It's not just a bigger residential system. Commercial work starts with your load profile and operating hours, not your square footage. See how commercial projects work →
Terms you'll actually hear.
- kWh (kilowatt-hour)
- A unit of energy used or produced over time — it's what you're actually billed for on your electricity account.
- kW (kilowatt)
- A unit of power at a single moment — used to describe how big a panel array or inverter is, rather than how much energy it's produced.
- Inverter
- Converts the DC electricity your panels produce into the AC electricity your home or business actually uses.
- Hybrid system
- Stays connected to the grid, with a battery for backup power and savings — the most common setup for homes and businesses.
- Off-grid system
- Runs independently of the grid entirely. A significantly bigger undertaking than a hybrid system, both technically and financially.
- Certificate of Compliance (COC)
- The legal sign-off confirming electrical work meets safety standards — required for insurance, and for most property sales.
Longer guides.
Load Shedding & Backup
What actually needs to stay on during an outage
Read guide →Buying Guide
Hybrid vs off-grid, explained simply
Read guide →Understanding Solar
Reading your electricity bill before you go solar
Read guide →Maintenance & Care
What a Solar Health Check actually checks
Read guide →Buying Guide
What to expect on installation day
Read guide →Understanding Solar
Solar Care vs a one-off service call
Read guide →Didn't find your answer?
Get in touch and ask us directly → — a real person reads every message.