The hard truth is most solar regrets don’t come from Eskom.
They come from businesses rushing into the wrong deal.

I’ve seen companies spend hundreds of thousands on shiny new systems, only to realise six months later:

• The batteries were wrong for their load.
• The panels can’t be expanded.
• The ROI looks great on paper but will never materialise.

Here’s the five biggest mistakes I see every day and how you can avoid them.

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Mistake 1: Letting the Salesperson Define Your Problem

If you don’t know whether your core need is backup, bill reduction, or both, then the salesperson gets to decide it for you.
And guess what? Their “solution” will be whatever is sitting in their warehouse.

👉 The fix: Define your problem in your words before you get quotes.

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Mistake 2: Oversizing or Undersizing the System

A 20kW system looks impressive… until you realise you only needed 8kW.
Or worse: You cheaped out, and now your system trips every time the aircon kicks in.

👉 The fix: Get your actual load profile measured before sizing a system.

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Mistake 3: Ignoring Battery Lifespan

Not all batteries are equal.
Some will quietly give up after three years, right about the time you stop feeling smug about beating load shedding.

👉 The fix: Choose the right battery chemistry (and warranty) for your usage pattern.

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Mistake 4: Forgetting About Scalability

Your business grows. Your energy demand grows.
But many systems are designed like a dead-end street: they can’t expand.

👉 The fix: Ask upfront if your system can double in size without starting from scratch.

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Mistake 5: Choosing Price Over Reliability

I get it, budgets are tight. But I promise you: the cheapest installer today is the most expensive decision tomorrow.
When the system fails, the warranty doesn’t mean much if the installer disappears.

👉 The fix: Choose reliability and reputation over the lowest price tag.

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Every single one of these mistakes comes back to the same root cause:
No strategy before spend.

Solar isn’t about panels and batteries. It’s about making energy decisions that align with your business goals today and five years from now.

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Before you sign anything, do one of two things:

📩 Download my free Solar & Backup Decision Checklist
👉 Or book a strategy session with me to cut through the noise and get it right the first time.