Batteries
What is battery depth of discharge (DoD) for solar in South Africa?
Depth of discharge (DoD) is how much of a battery’s rated capacity you are allowed to use in normal operation. Usable energy is roughly nameplate kWh × allowed DoD. A “10 kWh” pack at 90% DoD gives about 9 kWh usable — which is the number that actually keeps your fridge running in Stage 6.
Why quotes mislead
Some proposals advertise nameplate capacity and bury DoD in fine print. Ask every installer for usable kWh at the warranty DoD. Round-trip efficiency (often high-80s to mid-90s % for quality LFP hybrids) further trims what you get at the plug.
Nameplate kWh
Marketing capacity of the pack.
Allowed DoD
Percentage the warranty permits (often ~80–100% for modern LFP).
Usable kWh
What you design runtime from — use our runtime tool.
Consumer habit that protects you
Do not flatten the pack to empty every day if the installer set a conservative floor — cycling gently in shoulder seasons can extend calendar life. Follow the BMS app limits your installer commissioned.