Defy Solar Hybrid Appliances Keeping Things Lit

When Simon and Garfunkel wrote their now well-quoted song line, ‘Hello darkness, my old friend’,. The last thing they would have understood was how load shedding appliances would dominate our lives decades later. Life, however, need not end when your home or office is plunged into an electricity-free period. Good thing Defy Solar Hybrid Appliances are Keeping Things Lit.

Defy Solar Hybrid Appliances

Companies running ahead of the pack have innovations for fridge/freezer appliances that won’t suffer power surge damage. The technology connects directly to solar panels. During daylight hours, the electrical grid runs off solar power, prioritising solar energy. The solar hybrid system switches over to the grid when there is no sunshine.

The beauty of this innovation is that there is no need for inverters or batteries. Running as it does off so much solar energy, you will most certainly spare your Eskom bill with a fridge that consumes around 44 % less than most.

The Solar Hybrid range is available in a 254lt Chest Freezer and in a 157lt Top Mounted Freezer Fridge. Fitted with Endura-Chill technology to keep our freezer compartments colder for up to 40 hours in the freezer and 21 hours in the fridge without electricity or sun.

Loadshedding Appliances that Defy the Dark

Unless you’re going the generator route, in which case, loadshedding isn’t really a thing, there is one loadshedding appliance that will serve you and your family in more ways than you know.

Enter the honourable gas stove.

No kidding. In fact, if you watch cooking shows you’ll notice they mostly use gas appliances for cooking. Ever wondered why that is? Yes, it will save electricity, but speed in competitions is of the essence. More often than not speed counts in today’s modern lifestyle too. (Who stands for hours over the pots and pans anymore?)

The truth is that once you have experienced the convenience and control you have cooking with gas stoves, you won’t be inclined to return to their electric equivalent anytime soon. The question is not ‘what can I make with a gas stove?’, it’s ‘what can’t I make?’

When you purchase your gas stove, you will have the option of an electric or gas oven. That is totally up to you. If you’re a person who loves roasting, then a gas oven makes sense. If however, you know how to deliver delicious food on a multifunction stove, then you may be fine with a gas stovetop and an electric oven. Speak to your dealer who will guide you through the product options available.

Household Appliances Affected During Loadshedding

We have to face up to the fact that most of our electronic equipment wasn’t designed to withstand the power surges incurred by loadshedding operations.

• Household Appliances – Included here are your microwave, kettle, coffee machine, dishwasher, and sound system. Heating and cooling systems are the most demanding on your energy drainage but they are also vulnerable to power-spike damage. The quick fix for your major appliances is to purchase new ranges that will offset the worst of the negative effects. Surge protector plugs help too.

• Sensitive Equipment – Unstable power is known to damage your most sensitive and highly prized appliances, such as your phone, computer, Wi-Fi router, decoder, and LCD screens. Surge protectors are however geared to absorb energy spikes. Even so, it is recommended that unplugging these devices is the only sure way to spare them from the damage inflicted on them when the power comes back on.

• Electric Security Gates, Fencing & Lighting – The only way around this is to keep reserve batteries on standby. Where home or office security is paramount, the peace of mind from adequate preparedness in this area takes the headache out of loadshedding periods.

Hybrid Solar Panel Systems

The managing director of Turner Morris, Alwyn Coetsee, is a power-supply specialist, whose comments on installing solar-powered hybrid systems are worth noting;

“A solar power hybrid system includes a battery power bank and works in conjunction with the Eskom grid. While the sun is shining it generates power – you use solar power mainly and less Eskom power. If you install a 4 000W (5kVA) solar power hybrid system, you’ll be able to run more or less everything in your house on it, apart from the geyser and the stove. With a 12 000W (15kVA) system, you should be able to run everything in the average household.”

There is a substantial initial cost outlay for solar heating systems. However, it more than pays for itself over time, certainly, in the +80% you’ll save on your electricity bill. Most importantly, of course is, you have way less hassle when loadshedding occurs.

Whatever your individual circumstances are, let’s aim for a ‘No Power – No Problem’ Policy. It is possible. Loadshedding appliances will serve you well even when power outages lessen for a time.

To shop our Defy Solar Hybrid Appliances Collection click here. Read our blog for more exciting recipes, news, events and more.