South Africa’s electricity prices are heading for R4/kWh+ – with another 30% in cumulative tariff hikes expected by 2027. Add in collapsing municipal infrastructure, load reduction, steep fixed line costs, and staying on the grid is now financially unsustainable.
Solar is no longer optional — it’s existential to your security, bottom line, and peace of mind. With One Energy, you can lock in electricity costs at under R1/kWh for the next 20 years.
Real Results From Real Clients
We’ve completed 14,000+ perfect installations nationwide. Check out these recent case studies of solar solutions installed for our clients across residential, commercial and farming operations to get an idea of the savings and ROI you can enjoy.
🏠 Case Study: Benoni Household
Monthly electricity usage: 1200-1300kWh per month, 40-45kWh average per day, based on tariff of R3,70/kWh, Ekurhuleni.
Our solution:
- 8kW Sunsynk hybrid inverter + 20kWh Battery Storage + 7kW solar array
- R165 000 fully installed.
- Solar PV system generates: 42kWh per day / 1260kWh per month.
Financial Impact:
- R4,800 monthly saving (R57k per year) – system generates 1268kWh pm on average.
- House is 95-100% off-grid – Last electricity bill from Ekurhuleni was for R45 (12kWh) usage.
- Payback period: 2.9 years
- Without solar, they’d spend R345k over 5 years with zero ROI.
If you finance this solar solution, the savings are still massively compelling. On a Nedbank MFC Solar Finance option:
- Monthly repayments: R2895/pm (over 96 months loan term, 13.5% interest rate, and subject to your credit rating).
- Even after paying for the potential 5% that you may still draw from the grid – say 50kWh at R190, plus your loan repayment – you’re still saving almost R1500 pm.
🏢 Case Study: Print Shop Business
Monthly Electricity usage: R18,500/month – 5000kWh @ R3.70/kWh, average usage of 170kWh/day,
Our solution:
- 30kW Fox ESS hybrid inverter + 40kWh battery backup + 30kW solar array
- R480 000 fully installed.
- Solar PV system generates: 150kWh/day and 4500kWh/month. 32kWh usable battery storage for essential and nighttime loads.
Financial Impact:
- R14,000/month saving based on a 25-day work month (6-day work week).
- R170 000 saving per year, without factoring in subsequent tariff increases
- 90% off grid.
- System Payback Period: 2.8 years.
- Long-Term Savings: Locked in electricity costs at under R0.80/kWh for 20 years, versus R3,70/kWh and increasing, spending R1.79 million on grid electricity over five years with no return.
- Tax Incentive: Leverage the Section 12B tax deduction that allows for a 100% tax deduction in respect of your solar assets, to reduce the taxable income of the business.
- Get the input/output VAT offset if your business is VAT-registered.
On a monthly Rent-to-Own for Business Option with Merchant West:
- R9 600 /pm over 84 months with no annual escalation and fully own the system with one month’s additional payment at the end of term. (Based on 13.5% interest rate, and subject to your business credit rating).
- You are still saving R7000 month back on your bottom line after finance repayments and the 10% (600kWh) you may still buy from the grid, with savings increasing each year in line with Eskom tariff increases.
🏭 Case Study: Workshop / Industrial Premises, Petit
Monthly Electricity usage: R17 000 pm fixed line cost plus R8-10 000 electricity usage /pm
This solar installation has taken our client’s industrial business premises in Petit 100% off the grid. The landlord wanted a solar solution that would supply power to all four business tenants – two transport companies, a motor mechanic shop and a mining equipment/engineering business, as well as a residential set-up adjacent to the warehouse for the property caretaker.
Our solution:
- 3 x 30kW Fox ESS Inverters + 170kWh Battery back-up + 77kW Solar array.
- Integrated with an existing 75kVa generator for back-up.
- To date, the power demand for the entire facility including security systems, monitoring and electric fencing systems, as well as the power demand of four business tenants is fully met by the solar PV system, including all nighttime shift usage supplied by the BESS. The generator has not been required to operate since the solar installation was completed in April 2025.
Financial Impact:
- Saving R17 000 pm on the fixed line costs and R8-R10 000 pm in grid electricity usage. In total, saving at least R25-27 000 pm on grid electricity and line costs.
- System payback period: 3.3 years.
- Long-term savings: Save R1.8million on grid electricity costs over five years, straight back to the bottom line.
- Leverage the Section 12B tax deduction that allows for a 100% tax deduction in respect of your solar assets, to reduce the taxable income of the business.
- Get the input/output VAT offset if your business is VAT-registered.
- Reduce your carbon footprint while securing your business’s energy independence.
🚜 Case Study: Farm, North-West Province
The farm owner wanted a solar solution that would supply power to the homestead, as well as its butchery and meat processing facility, complete with walk-in fridge, borehole pumps and farming equipment. The farm was facing hefty line costs every month, along with very unreliable grid electricity supply, with infrastructure going down for days and even weeks after storms and heavy winds. This in turn would drive heavy reliance on generators for back-up power, and hefty diesel costs.
Monthly Electricity usage: R9 000 pm fixed line cost plus R20 000 electricity usage /pm average
Our solution:
- 3 x 30kW Fox ESS Inverters + 120kWh Battery back-up + 43kW Solar array
- Integrated with an existing 20kVa generator for back-up.
- R1 050 000 fully installed.
Financial Impact:
- Eskom line cost saving of R9,000/month and further R20 000 pm in grid electricity usage. In total, saving at least R29000 pm on grid electricity and line costs.
- System payback period: 3 years.
- Longterm savings: R1.75million on grid electricity costs over five years, straight back to the bottom line.
- Farm is 100% off the grid and has the security of its own solar electricity supply, as well as fixing its electricity costs for the next 20+ years.
- Leverage the Section 12B tax deduction that allows for a 100% tax deduction in respect of your solar assets, to reduce the taxable income of the business.
On a monthly Rent-to-Own for Business Option with Merchant West:
- R21 000pm over 84 months with no annual escalation and fully own the system with one month’s additional payment at the end of term.
- You are still putting R8000 month back on your bottom line even after monthly finance repayments, with savings increasing each year in line with Eskom tariff increases. Once paid off, its massive monthly savings.
Flexible Finance – Start Saving Immediately
You don’t need to pay cash upfront.
✅ Nedbank MFC Solar Finance – Fixed monthly repayments over up to 96 months. Finance for individuals.
✅ Merchant West Rent-to-Own – No annual escalations, fully own your system at the end of term. For Business and individuals.
Get the peace of mind of knowing that you are working with a solar partner that has been thoroughly vetted by its finance providers and adheres to the highest standards of quality installation, tier 1 products, workmanship, after-sales support and good governance.
Why Choose One Energy?
✅ Over 14 000+ perfect commercial and residential solar installations completed – no other solar installer comes anywhere near our track record and service ethos.
✅ 16 franchises nationally – going strong since 2011
✅ Quality-first, proven solutions – only top-tier, quality solutions, and fully compliant installations. No short cuts, no cheap brands – just perfect solar installations for the long haul. Full product and installation warranties.
✅ Solar Finance available – Nedbank MFC, Wesbank and Merchant West (Rent-to-Own)
✅ Transparent ROI calculations – so you know exactly what you’ll save
✅ Expert installation & support – for long-term reliability and peace of mind
✅ SSEG registration and facilitation – through a trusted and professional SSEG compliance partner
The journey to greater grid independence is a big and important step and you need to be sure that the steps you take today are right for your needs down the line. The proper installation and management of a solar PV system is a complex undertaking that requires a deep understanding and experience of the various technologies on the market, that are suited to the specific circumstances of every client and site. It’s not just solar solutions we provide, it’s peace of mind.
Don’t risk fly-by-night installers or unsafe systems that fail after a few months. Trust the market leader with a proven track record of reliability and ROI.
Contact One Energy today for a free site assessment, energy audit, and customised solar solution designed specifically for your needs. Trust in our expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction as we guide you on this journey to grid independence.