Solar and backup power in Centurion — what we actually find
Two Centurion realities shape a solar or PV installation. On the estates, reticulation sits behind a bulk meter and the estate has its own view of what may be connected, so approval comes before commissioning. Where a borehole pump and irrigation controller are on the property, they are worth putting on the backed-up side deliberately, because those are the loads owners miss most during an outage.
Property stock in Centurion
Centurion sits high, and the estates around Eldoraigne and Highveld often run boosted pressure to push water to the top of the stand. That pressure is what splits older poly fittings under driveways and shortens the life of geyser elements and mixer cartridges. On the smallholdings at the edge of Centurion, borehole water frequently runs alongside the municipal supply, and the two need a proper non-return arrangement to remain legal.
Many Centurion estates run their own reticulation behind a bulk meter, so faults can sit on estate infrastructure rather than the municipal side. We establish which before anyone is billed, and clear estate access in advance.
Faults that cluster in Centurion
- Boosted estate pressure splitting older poly fittings under driveways
- Borehole and municipal supplies joined without a compliant non-return arrangement
- Borehole pumps and irrigation controllers causing nuisance earth leakage after wet weather
- Faults sitting on estate reticulation behind the bulk meter rather than the municipal supply
How solar and backup power works
The expensive mistake in solar and backup is sizing, not equipment. Undersize it and you are disappointed every outage; oversize it and you have paid for capacity that never gets used. Essential-loads wiring is what makes the numbers work — splitting the board so the inverter carries lights, plugs, fridge, Wi-Fi and security while the geyser and stove stay on the grid side. Without that split you are effectively sizing the whole system around the geyser.
- Load surveys based on twelve months of actual consumption rather than estimates
- Hybrid inverter and LiFePO4 battery installations sized to real essential loads
- Solar PV with shading analysis and string layout matched to roof orientation
- Essential-loads board splits and correct isolation
- Electrical COC on completion, and City Power approval where the system is grid-tied
Our process on a Centurion call-out
- 1Survey the site — roof orientation, shading, roof space and board condition
- 2Review twelve months of bills to size against real consumption
- 3Agree the essential-loads circuit list before anything is ordered
- 4Install, commission and demonstrate the system under an actual outage
- 5Issue the Electrical COC and handle grid-tied approval where it applies
Solar and backup power in Centurion — frequently asked questions
Other work we do in Centurion
Need solar and backup power in Centurion?
Owner-managed by Garth Blair. We pick up the phone and book you in personally.
Speak to Garth directly.
Owner-managed means you reach the person who's accountable. Phone, email or WhatsApp — whatever's easiest for you.
- Call now082 886 9119
- WhatsApp082 886 9119
- Emailgarth@appleplumbing.co.za
- Service areaSandton, Midrand & Northern JHB
- HoursMonday to Saturday, 07:00 – 17:00