Buying a back-up power solution for your home is a big decision. Here’s how to make the right one and what happens after that.
Welcome to the Power4Less step-by-step guide to making the right power solution decision and purchasing it. Whether you need a backup solution for municipal power or want to supplement your power supply with solar panels, we’ve got you covered! Let’s walk you through the process and make it simple so that you are comfortable with the choice you make.
Decide what you need
Power4Less offers a product for every power requirement, from rechargeable light globes to mobile power banks, ultra-efficient geysers, portable inverters, self-contained inverters and solar power.
But let’s assume that you’re fed up with having to rely on the increasingly unreliable national grid. You have decided that your home or business needs an effective, reliable power supply and that means you’re in the market for a Power4Less OmniVolt GII unit.
The OmniVolt is entirely self-contained, including both an inverter and batteries, all in a neat, wall-mounted unit. In terms of power output, the OmniVolt is available from 3 kW to 10 kW – or even in multiple connected units.
While it can operate purely as a backup power source – where the batteries are charged by mains power and then used during a power outage – it can also be easily linked to solar panels as an off grid solution.
What can an inverter power?
There are many different energy capacities for inverters. For example, the OmniVolt range is available in capacities of between 3 kW and 10 kW. The capacity dictates what appliances the inverter can power and for how long. For instance, if the total energy draw of your household is 4 kW and you have an 8 kW inverter with an 8 kW battery, it could power your home for two hours. This is why an element of your power independence approach should include replacing power-hungry equipment with more effective, lower wattage ones. Once you understand this, the next step is to identify what you want to power and for how long. This can be calculated by listing all the appliances together with their watt rating. (This is found on the data plate on each appliance).
 
Because an inverter has a limited power supply from its batteries, when a backup power source is installed the mains feed is ideally split into two feeds: critical and non-critical. The critical load includes appliances that we can’t live without, like fridges, freezers, lights, internet, etc. The non-critical load supports power-hungry appliances that we can do without during a power outage, such as the oven, stove, geyser, pool pump etc. The inverter powers the critical load circuit while electrical mains powers the power-hungry appliances connected to the non-critical circuit. If solar panels are installed, they feed to the inverter.
To give you some perspective of what an inverter can power, refer to the table below:
* The below table is using typical appliance values over a 4-hour power outage.
| Appliance | Quantity | Watt Rating | Total Watts | Runtime in hours | Total Watt Hours |
| Lights | 8 | 30 | 240 | 4 | 960 |
| Microwave | 1 | 750 | 750 | 0.5 | 375 |
| Kettle | 1 | 2200 | 2200 | 0.3 | 660 |
| Fridge | 2 | 150 | 300 | 3 | 900 |
| TV & Decoder | 1 | 300 | 300 | 3 | 900 |
| WiFi | 1 | 20 | 20 | 4 | 80 |
| Laptop | 2 | 80 | 160 | 4 | 640 |
| Total | 3970 (3.970 kW) | 4515 (4.515 kW) |
Powering your Inverter
The inverter can be powered by your electrical mains, solar panels or a combination of both.
If the inverter is connected only to your main power line entering your home, electricity will keep them charged for the next power outage. This is a backup system.
The Omnivolt is solar-ready, so solar panels can also be connected. If you have these connected to your system, the batteries will be charged from solar production with any surplus generated power being used to supplement your mains power – thus reducing your energy bill. This type of system, known as a hybrid, has the ability to charge the battery from the electrical grid during days of heavy cloud cover, which impairs the solar panels’ ability to produce energy.The number of panels required depends on the size of your inverter. A 5 kW inverter should be paired with no less than 5 kW of panels.
OmniVolt units can also be connected together for increased power supply and a totally off-grid power solution.
Installation is included
When you buy a Power4Less OmniVolt GII, everything you need is in the box, including the mounting plates and absolutely everything you need for connection and installation. In fact, all installations are R1 (yes that is correct R1) and delivery is free for the first 100 km to anywhere in South Africa (thereafter it is R7.95 per km).
Likewise, when you buy Power4Less solar panels, they also come as a complete kit with everything necessary for installation.
Purchasing Step-by-Step
Power4Less products can be purchased online at builders.co.za or in-store at your closest Builders store. In both cases, the purchase is followed by delivery and then installation. Here is how it all works for the different options:
Online
It is very simple to purchase a Power4Less system online at Builders. Just follow this process:
- Visit www.builders.co.za.
- If you already have a Builders profile, log in. If not, register a profile.
- Find Power4Less products: To find the Power4Less alternative power systems, go to ‘Shop Departments’ and click on ‘Load Shedding’.
- In the Load Shedding section, click on ‘Power Solutions’.
- There are a few ways to find the Power4Less products, but the easiest is to select ‘Power4Less’ under ‘Filter by Brand’. All of the Power4Less products in the Power Solutions section will now be displayed.
- Select the power output that you need from your OmniVolt GII (3 kW, 5 kW, 8 kW or 10 kW).
- Select ‘Delivery’. Delivery is free for the first 100 km anywhere in South Africa (then R7.95 per km), so this makes more sense than picking it up from the store. The system will also need to be installed by an approved installer.
- Therefore, tick the box for ‘Add installation service for R1’. Please note that this is necessary, because if you install your own system or get a non-approved installer to fit the system, the warranty will be null and void. But since installation only costs R1, you’re unlikely to do that anyway, are you?
- From here it is a very typical, easy-to-use online shopping process. Click ‘Add to Cart’ followed by ‘Go to Cart’ and ‘Checkout’.
- You will need to put in a delivery address, and it must be the location where the system will be installed. Also, record any special delivery instructions at this point, such as the preferred time of day for delivery or whether the delivery person should call ahead of time.
- After that, proceed to pay for the item.
- Delivery and installation will be organised with you, as per the ‘Vendor Delivery Process’
If you visit Builders.co.za and are unsure of what you require from your Power4Less system, you can ask for a Builders representative to contact you. Do this by clicking on ‘Contact Us’ and filling in the form.
Buy in-store, and take home
Some shoppers will prefer to shop at their local Builders store, to have a proper look at the product and have a discussion with a Builders Alternative Power Expert to make sure that they are buying the right thing, and that the system will do what they need it to do. Please note that only the 3 kW and 5 kW OmniVolt GII Back-Up Systems are kept in stock in-store.
Choosing the system you want, paying in-store and taking the system home immediately is an option, but it isn’t necessary. Remember that delivery and installation are free and this avoids a lot of hassle.
Please also take note that installation by an approved installer is required or the warranty will be null and void.
A Builders’ sales consultant will guide you through the process of buying in-store, but it is simple. The sales consultant will capture all of your details on the Builders computer system to make sure that the installation process is begun.
You will receive a quotation that you will take with the product to the till point, to pay. Installation of the product at your home will take place within 72 hours.
Buying in-store, with delivery
If you want to buy a Power4Less product from your local Builders, but still have it delivered (delivery and installation are free, after all!), this is a hassle-free process.
A sales consultant will discuss the various options with you to help you make an informed decision. Once you’ve decided on the system that will work best for you, the sales consultant will help you to purchase it on-line from a Builders’ computer:
- Select the power output that you need from your OmniVolt GII (3 kW, 5 kW, 8 kW or 10 kW), and choose that unit.
- Select ‘Delivery’. Delivery is free for the first 100 km anywhere in South Africa (then R7.95 per km), so this makes more sense than picking it up from the store. The system will also need to be installed by an approved installer.
- Therefore, tick the box for ‘Add installation service for R1’. Take note that this is necessary, because if you install your own system or get a non-approved installer to fit the system, the warranty will be invalidated.
- From here it is a very typical, easy-to-use online shopping process. Click ‘Add to Cart’ followed by ‘Go to Cart’ and ‘Checkout’.
- You will need to put in a delivery address, and it must be the location where the system will be installed. Also, record any special delivery instructions at this point, such as the preferred time of day for delivery or whether the delivery person should call ahead of time.
- After that, proceed to pay for the item.
- Delivery and installation will be organised with you, as per the ‘Vendor Delivery Process’
The Vendor Delivery Process
When you order a Power4Less system for delivery, either on-line or via a Builders store, delivery and installation is organised by Power4Less itself.
Power4Less receives confirmation of a sale and will receive an order for the product to be delivered.
Within 72 hours, your new Power4Less system will be delivered at the specified address.
As soon as the system has been delivered, both Builders and the installers will be notified, so that prompt installation can take place.
The Installation Process
The installation process is managed by 4Sure, a company that connects companies like Builders with service providers, to ensure everything is done professionally, safely and within the time promised.
4Sure will send your details to Power4Less so that they are able to contact you for delivery and installation details. Because this is a major installation that needs to be done correctly, Power4Less will want to carry out a virtual inspection of your home before the installation. They will need to know how to access the electrical distribution board in your home, how to access the roof and what kind of roof it is, and whether you have a valid electrical Certificate of Compliance (COC). (If you don’t have a valid COC, there may be additional work and costs involved.) Any additional work and costs will be discussed at this time.
As well as taking care of all the physical aspects of the installation, all necessary administration will also be facilitated. This even includes transferring your COC number to a Solar COC, to make sure everything remains valid.
When the job is complete, 4Sure will contact you telephonically to check that you are happy with the work.
Finally, a specialist from Power4Less will visit within seven days to perform a quality check.
And that’s it! With Power4Less, it’s easy to make sure your power is Always On!
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