A rough system cost, 20-year savings and break-even point for a home solar system in South Africa, simulated hour by hour over a typical weather year.
Choose the nearest city. Weather follows its typical year.
Tilt is the roof pitch: about 26° for a tiled roof, 5–10° for IBR or corrugated sheeting, 0° for flat.
Covers inverter, wiring, dust and panel mismatch. 80% suits most systems; use 70–75% for dusty or partly shaded roofs. Heat losses are calculated separately.
The discount rate is the return you could earn elsewhere, used for the present-value figure.
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