Ian Stanley Electrical

Ian Stanley Electrical Electrical contracting Electrical on site services.

02/08/2026

Next, let's look at the solar panels and the solar charge controller.

One of the most important things to identify is the type of solar charge controller built into the inverter. Not all small inverters use MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) technology. Many lower-cost or entry-level models still use a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) charge controller.

This is especially important with small inverter systems, as they often have limited PV input voltage and current ratings. Choosing the wrong solar panels, or connecting them in the wrong configuration, can significantly reduce performance or even damage the equipment.

Before rushing out and spending thousands of rands on solar panels, make sure you understand exactly what charging method your inverter uses. Installing panels that are poorly matched to the inverter's charging characteristics can result in poor battery charging, reduced energy production, or a system that never operates at its full potential.

If your inverter has an MPPT charge controller, don't just look at the panel wattage. Check the minimum MPPT operating voltage, the maximum PV open-circuit voltage (Voc), the maximum PV input current, and ensure your panel string configuration remains within those limits under all operating conditions, including cold weather when panel voltage increases.

A correctly designed solar array will almost always outperform a larger array that has been incorrectly matched to the inverter. Spending a little time understanding your inverter's specifications before buying panels can save you thousands of rands and prevent costly mistakes.

02/08/2026

Choosing the right battery is about far more than the amp-hour rating.

Let's look at batteries used with small inverter systems, especially 24 V and 48 V installations.

If you're using a modern, pre-packaged lithium battery with an integrated BMS, much of the cell protection, balancing and monitoring is handled for you. However, when you build a battery bank using individual 12 V batteries connected in series to create a 24 V or 48 V system, the challenges increase significantly.

One of the biggest problems is that many people rely on advice from the salesperson behind the counter. While there are some excellent salespeople, many have limited technical knowledge of both the battery selection and system design.

Without knowing the **maximum demand** of the installation, how do you know which battery to choose? Should it be rated for **0.3C, 0.5C or 1C**? That decision can make the difference between a reliable installation and one that constantly shuts down or has a very short battery life, or resulting a in warranty claim.

A mistake I see regularly involves the large 12 V lithium batteries that look like oversized car batteries. Just because the label says **100 Ah or 200 Ah** does **not** mean the battery can charge or discharge at 100 A or 200 A continuously. The Battery Management System (BMS) usually limits the maximum charge and discharge current, and if that limit is lower than your inverter's demand, you'll have problems.

Another point many buyers miss is the words **"Second Life"** on the label. These batteries are generally built using repurposed lithium cells rather than brand-new cells. That doesn't automatically make them bad, but you should understand exactly what you're buying and whether it is suitable for your application.

Finally, one of the most important installation practices...

Before connecting batteries **in series**, ensure every battery is fully charged and at the same voltage. Starting with unbalanced batteries can lead to charging problems, reduced performance and a shorter service life. Most have a built in BMS with blue tooth, making it easier to monitor.

Where possible, batteries connected together should be:

* The same manufacturer.
* The same model and capacity.
* The same age.
* Running the same firmware (where applicable).
* At the same state of charge before being connected.

A battery bank is only as strong as its weakest battery. Spending a little more time selecting and commissioning the correct batteries can save thousands of rands in replacements later.

02/08/2026

Let's look at a small inverter system and some of the precautions that need to be considered.

Starting with the inverter itself, you need to ensure that it is capable of supplying the maximum load that may be connected to it during normal operation. If the inverter is not large enough to carry the entire installation, the installation should be designed so that the load is split into **essential** and **non-essential** circuits, with only the essential circuits supplied by the inverter.

This remains one of the biggest issues in the industry. Many installations have been fitted with relatively small 3 kW or 5 kW inverters without properly assessing the expected demand. The result is often an inverter that is regularly overloaded, trips into fault mode, limits its output, or operates under unnecessary stress, all of which can reduce performance and potentially affect the long-term reliability of the equipment.

A proper load assessment is therefore essential. The system should either be designed to accommodate the maximum anticipated demand, or appropriate provision must be made to ensure that the inverter can never be subjected to loads beyond its design limits. This is achieved through correct circuit segregation, load management, and appropriate protection and control measures.

25/07/2026

**Notice to All Sunsynk Customers**

Dear Valued Customer,

As part of updating my records and ensuring that each solar installation is under the correct ownership, I will be transferring ownership of all Sunsynk Connect sites to the respective property owners.

Once the transfer has been completed, you will become the owner of your site and will have full control over who has access to it.
If you would like me to continue assisting you with remote monitoring, troubleshooting, firmware updates, or technical support, you are welcome to share your site with me by inviting the following email address as either a **Visitor** or **Manager**:
** email address**
This will allow me to continue providing support when required while ensuring that ownership of the system remains with the property owner.

If you have any questions or require assistance with the sharing process, please don't hesitate to contact me.

25/07/2026

One of the reasons I always insisted that our customers use the same brand of inverter and batteries was to avoid the unnecessary complications that come with mixing different manufacturers.

On paper, different brands may claim compatibility through CAN or RS485 communication, but in the real world that's often where the problems begin. Communication protocols differ, firmware versions don't always match, battery parameters can be interpreted differently, and online monitoring may require multiple apps or separate cloud platforms.

When everything comes from the same manufacturer, the entire system is designed to work together. Setup is simpler, communication is more reliable, firmware updates are easier, and both the installer and the customer can monitor the complete system from a single platform.

As more customers ask me to service systems installed by other companies, I'm seeing these compatibility issues more often. Batteries not charging correctly, inaccurate state-of-charge readings, communication alarms, firmware mismatches, and limited technical support are all common problems when equipment from different manufacturers is combined.

Can mixed-brand systems work? Absolutely. But they usually require a much deeper understanding of communication protocols, battery settings, firmware compatibility, and manufacturer-specific requirements.

A well-designed solar system is about far more than connecting cables. It's about ensuring every component works together reliably for years to come.

25/07/2026

If you're one of the lucky customers who took my advice and chose the IP65 Sunsynk 5.12 kWh batteries with your Sunsynk inverter, you've probably never even seen me connect my laptop to your system.

There are no DIP switches to configure—it's simply plug in, power up, and the inverter and batteries communicate seamlessly. The entire system can be monitored, diagnosed, and updated remotely, right down to individual cell level, helping to keep it running at peak performance.

I'm not saying other battery brands don't work. Many do. But using components from the same manufacturer makes installation, commissioning, firmware updates, diagnostics, and long-term support far simpler.

As batteries age and eventually require maintenance, balancing, or firmware updates, having a fully integrated system can save you a significant amount of time, frustration, and money.

Another positive step is that, from 1 July, Sunsynk now has a service centre in Durban. That's welcome news for both installers and customers. Hopefully, the relationship between the manufacturer and the local support network proves to be more stable than previous supplier partnerships, which unfortunately left many installers in a difficult position when it came to warranty support, technical assistance, and sourcing replacement products.

Reliable local technical support is just as important as having a good product.

16/06/2026

Modern electrical installations can't be that complicated, can they?

DIY enthusiasts are even installing solar systems these days, or attending a couple of days of electrical workshops and receiving a certificate that supposedly prepares them to tackle any solar installation.

You install a solar system, a smart meter, and a couple of smart switches with built-in energy monitoring. Add a phone full of apps and perhaps one or two web interfaces, and suddenly you're the talk of the next braai, showing off all your smart technology, load-shedding solutions, and money-saving systems that come with 10-year, and in some cases up to 25-year, product warranties.

A couple of months later, the earth leakage unit (ELU) trips. You call your trusted installer, who received a card after three days of intensive training, or perhaps subcontracted the work to a mate because he was never actually in the electrical industry. He simply got smart, rode the solar boom while it was in full swing, and made a lot of money along the way.

Unfortunately, there is no answer.

The next step is often a WhatsApp group chat, a bit of bad-mouthing of the installer, and plenty of opinions from people who have never even seen the installation. In some cases, the installer who did the work was never paid because the person who sold the job took the money and disappeared.

Now you have a new guy on his way to fix the problem.

And that, people, is where the real challenge begins.

Because we are all quick to point fingers at the last person who worked on the installation. Or even worse, you open the panel, move a single wire from one terminal block to another, and suddenly you become responsible for the entire electrical installation.

The moment you touch it, whether the fault existed before you arrived or not, there is a good chance that from that day forward, every problem on that property will somehow be linked to the work you did.

16/06/2026

Ten years ago, electrical installations were generally much simpler. A couple of timers and a meter could be installed, the main switch could be turned off, and work could proceed safely. A lockout device and warning tag on the main switch were often sufficient to ensure the installation remained isolated while maintenance was carried out.

In some cases, however, people would take chances by switching off only the circuit they were working on, hoping nobody would switch it back on, assuming it had tripped. Unfortunately, this approach often resulted in electric shocks caused by poor safety practices and a failure to properly isolate the installation.

In 2026, visiting a new site presents many challenges. Before removing a cover, the first document that should be requested is the COC. In many cases, it is possible to determine whether a COC is worth the paper it is written on simply by reviewing the test comments and recorded test results. This provides a good indication of the level of caution that will be required.

An electrical layout should be obtained, the correct lockout procedure identified, and all isolation points located before any work begins. Covers should not be removed until the potential risks have been assessed and understood. Grid power, solar PV systems, battery storage systems, and generators are all capable of producing power, and any of them can present a serious risk of injury or death if not correctly isolated.

One of the biggest challenges facing the electrical industry today is the increasing number of customers who can no longer contact the original installer. They are often left with dangerous or non-compliant installations that appear to operate normally for months or even years. Eventually, unexplained faults begin to appear, such as nuisance tripping, intermittent failures, and equipment damage.

Many of these problems are traced back to issues such as mixed neutrals, neutrals connected together where they should not be, incorrect wiring methods, poor workmanship, and a lack of proper testing and commissioning. Modern electrical installations are significantly more complex than they were a decade ago, and electricians are increasingly required to diagnose and repair systems they did not install, often with little or no documentation available.

Understanding the entire installation before touching it is no longer just good practice—it is an essential part of working safely in today's electrical environment.

Sometimes it takes a little planning to get it right, especially when the conditions are not perfect. Fortunately, the c...
15/06/2026

Sometimes it takes a little planning to get it right, especially when the conditions are not perfect. Fortunately, the customer had a plan and a few adjustable legs to secure the lights while the glue was drying. Being able to change the light colour temperature on the driver certainly makes the installation easier and takes away the worry of choosing the wrong colour temperature before the light is permanently fixed in place. Some customers prefer a warm 3000K light, while others prefer a cooler 6500K light, so having the flexibility to adjust it after installation is a real advantage.

Making sure all the pipes are ok as they pour.
15/06/2026

Making sure all the pipes are ok as they pour.

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