Loads & backup

Can I run a NAS or home server on solar backup in South Africa?

Yes — and it is usually an easy essentials-board win: a NAS + router + switch often sips 30–80 W, which is cheap insurance for photos, cameras and remote work during Stage. Put them on the same backup island as fibre, and add a clean shutdown script so rare deep-discharge events do not corrupt disks.

Updated 27 October 2026 · Illustrative ranges — not a formal quote, credit decision or legal advice.

Answer first: Measure wall watts (idle and scrub). Place NAS + network stack on essentials with the ONT/router. Avoid sharing that circuit with the geyser. Pair with fibre backup · CCTV PoE · essentials.

Worked power sketch

Router 15 W + 4-bay NAS 40 W idle + switch 10 W ≈ 65 W. Over a 4 h Stage that is ~0.26 kWh — noise next to a kettle. Disk scrub or RAID rebuild can spike toward 80–100 W; still modest compared with a 3 kW geyser element.

Placement rules

Do	Don't
Same backup island as fibre/ONT	Leave the ONT on non-essential
Clean sine hybrid/UPS for older PSUs	Cheap square-wave “UPS” into a NAS
Auto-shutdown at low SoC	Let disks die at 0% without flush
Ventilated shelf away from inverter exhaust	Seal NAS in a hot plant cupboard

CCTV and remote-work cousins

Keep NVR/PoE on the same island if cameras matter — CCTV PoE · gate / alarm. Laptops usually ride Wi-Fi; the failure point is the ONT, not the notebook battery. Test a simulated Stage before you need it for a client call — Stage strategy · Stage 4.

Shutdown scripting

Most NAS brands support a UPS-network or GPIO/dry-contact signal. Wire a low-SoC or inverter-fault signal to a graceful shutdown, then allow a timed reboot when grid/PV returns. Document the behaviour in the handover pack so the next house-sitter does not yank power.

Quote / handover notes

Label the “network” breaker on the backup board.
Document idle watts in the commissioning sheet.
Test a Stage simulation before sign-off.
Keep firmware update habits boring and scheduled — not mid-Stage.

Homeowner folder to keep with the CoC

Store quote annexures, OEM manuals, serial photos, export-limit screenshots and metro reference letters together — choose installer · selling with solar · warranty transfer.

Re-check fixed charges after meter changes — fixed charges · 2026/27 tariffs · metro tariffs · bill still high.

Field notes from SA handovers

Demand a live demo, NRS-listed SKUs matching the invoice, and photos of settings — red flags · NRS list · SSEG · read a quote.

Where this sits on the desk

See Answers, metro tariffs, batteries, panels & inverters, and check a quote.

Worked homeowner checklist

Photograph board labels, nameplates and meter face.
Save the live metro or OEM PDF behind any rand claim.
Book a Stage simulation where backup matters.
Diary a 30-day monitoring review against the first bill.

Questions for every installer WhatsApp

Which primary PDF backs that claim?
Who registers warranties and by when?
What if the first SSEG pack is rejected?
Can you show a recent labelled board photo from a similar job?

Commissioning photo habit

Before the scaffolding leaves, photograph serials, board labels, clamp rows, isolator positions, app settings and the meter face. Store them with the CoC. Future claims, resale and fault-finding all go faster with that pack — CoC · selling with solar · warranty transfer · battery claims.

Tariff July reminder

Every municipal July (and Eskom’s own updates) can move your payback napkin. Rebuild savings with the live tariff code, fixed charges and a realistic self-use fraction — not last year’s PDF — 2026/27 tariffs · fixed charges · metro tariffs · monthly savings.

Stage etiquette for hungry loads

Geysers, ovens, pool pumps and wallboxes should not surprise the essentials board. Write shed rules into the handover and test them once — essentials · Stage strategy · Stage 4 · overload lessons.

NRS list and export honesty

Invoice SKUs must match the live NRS-listed inverter set for your SSEG path. Export promises that ignore metro caps create failed inspections — NRS list · SSEG · export limit · zero-export · NRS 097.

Monitoring that survives cloud outages

Export monthly production CSVs and keep bill scans offline. Portals change URLs; your payback model should not — monitoring numbers · dongle offline · bill still high · read a bill.

Commissioning photo habit

Tariff July reminder

Stage etiquette for hungry loads

NRS list and export honesty

Monitoring that survives cloud outages

Export monthly production CSVs and keep bill scans offline. Portals change URLs; your payback model should not — monitoring numbers · dongle offline · bill still high · read a bill.

SA context that sales decks skip

Municipal paperwork, Stage behaviour and fixed charges decide whether a clever hardware idea actually saves rand. Build the quote around your last 12 months of kWh, the live tariff code, and a written essentials list for Stage 4–6. Then layer the topic on this page on top — not the other way around — size a system · metro tariffs · read a quote · fixed charges · essentials.

Red flags that waste a Saturday

Cash-only deposits without a company invoice matching NRS SKUs.
“Guaranteed SSEG in seven days” with no metro PDF cited.
Export income modelled at 1:1 against your import rate.
No CoC, no dual-supply labels, no SPD line items.
Firmware “we’ll hack later” promises.

Walk away early — red flags · NRS list · CoC · dual-supply labels · SPD.

Aftercare that protects the asset

Diary firmware updates, cleaning dates, and any earth-leakage or isolation alarms. Keep the distributor claim path phone number next to the serial photo. When something fails in year four, that boring admin is the difference between a swap and a shrug — firmware · inverter claims · battery claims · yearly maintenance.

Worked Stage night with cameras

NAS 45 W + ONT/router 18 W + PoE switch and four cameras ~40 W ≈ 103 W. Over 3 h Stage ≈ 0.31 kWh. That is still cheaper than losing a security recording or a work VPN. Put all of it on one labelled essentials breaker — CCTV · fibre · Stage 4.

Quote and CoC cross-check

Before you pay the balance, match the quote SKUs to the installed serials, confirm the export setpoint screenshot, and file the CoC number with dual-supply photos — read a quote · CoC · export limit · labels · check a quote · get quotes.

Stage and tariff reminder

Hardware only pays off if it covers your real Stage windows and your metro’s fixed charges. Prefer self-use when export credits are thin — Stage strategy · fixed charges · export vs self-use · metro tariffs.

Commission to the brief you signed — then prove it

Handover is not a handshake. Run the essential loads on battery, confirm monitoring live, photograph labels, and file the CoC with the metro pack. Anything left “for next week” becomes never.

Hold final payment until that proof exists. Incomplete commissioning is incomplete delivery.

Record serial numbers, firmware version, and the commissioning date on one card beside the DB. That card is the start of every future service call.

Quick questions

Will a NAS flatten my battery?

Unlikely at 30–80 W — kitchen loads matter more.

Do I still need a small UPS?

Optional if hybrid output is clean; useful for reboot ordering.

Should the NAS sit in the plant room?

Only with cool airflow — heat shortens disk life.

Sources & related

Education only — not a quote, engineering design, credit offer or legal advice. Confirm every figure on the live primary (bank, metro, manufacturer, SARS) before you spend money.

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