Security ·
CCTV buying guide for homes and businesses
More cameras is not always better security. Coverage, image quality at night, recording time and power backup matter more. A practical checklist.
Solar ·
How to size a solar system for your home in Uganda
Panels, batteries and inverters are sized from three numbers: your energy use, your peak load and the backup hours you need. Here is how to find them.
A solar system that is too small leaves you in the dark; one that is too big wastes money. Good sizing starts with three numbers.
1. Daily energy use (kWh per day)
Your electricity bill or Yaka purchase history shows how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) you use. Divide your monthly units by 30 to get a daily figure. If you have no bill, list each appliance, its wattage and the hours it runs per day, then add them up.
2. Peak load (kW)
This is the most power drawn at the same moment, for example a fridge, TV, lights and a pump all running together. The inverter must handle this peak, plus the surge some motors need when they start.
3. Backup hours
Decide which loads must stay on during an outage and for how long. Battery capacity is sized from those essential loads and hours, not your whole house.
Turning the numbers into a system
- Panels: daily energy divided by the sun hours at your site, with an allowance for losses from heat, dust and cabling.
- Inverter: at least your peak load, with headroom.
- Batteries: essential load multiplied by backup hours, adjusted for the usable depth of discharge of the battery type.
Try the estimator, then get a site assessment
Our free solar estimator gives a first estimate in under a minute. Roof direction, shading, cable runs and the condition of your existing wiring all affect the final design, so a site assessment is the step that turns an estimate into a dependable quotation.
