Size Your System
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Your Location
Solar conditions vary 15–20% across Zimbabwe. Select your nearest town for accurate sizing.
System Type
Hybrid uses the grid as a safety net and sizes for average conditions. Off-Grid assumes no grid at all and sizes for the worst month.
Uses the annual average peak sun hours for Harare. The grid covers shortfalls during low-production winter months, so we size panels for typical output, not the worst case.
Your Monthly Electricity Usage
Enter from your electricity token receipt, prepaid meter reading, or monthly bill
≈ 12 kWh/day
≈ $63.60/month
Quick select:
Your Recommendations
Essential Backup
LED lights, phone charging, Wi-Fi router, TV, decoder, and a small fridge. Keeps the basics running during load shedding.
4.7kWh/day
1.5kVA Inverter
Must, Growatt, or Deye
2× 48V 100Ah LiFePO4
9.6 kWh total · 7.3 kWh usable
2× 545W Mono (Jinko/Longi)
1.09 kWp total · 6.4 PSH
Overnight Battery
1 night on battery, grid fills the rest
Estimated Cost
$1,400 — $2,600
USD including installation
Full Load
Covers your full electricity consumption — microwave, iron (scheduled at midday), washing machine, home office, and more.
11.7kWh/day
3kVA Inverter
Must, Growatt, or Deye
Borehole pumps surge to 3–5× rated watts on startup. Ensure your inverter's peak rating handles motor starting current.
4× 48V 100Ah LiFePO4
19.2 kWh total · 14.6 kWh usable
5× 545W Mono (Jinko/Longi)
2.73 kWp total · 6.4 PSH
Overnight Battery
1 night on battery, grid fills the rest
Estimated Cost
$2,700 — $4,500
USD including installation
Future-Proof
50% headroom above your current usage. Add a borehole pump, second freezer, or workshop tools later without upgrading.
17.5kWh/day
5kVA Inverter
Must, Growatt, or Deye
Borehole pumps surge to 3–5× rated watts on startup. Ensure your inverter's peak rating handles motor starting current.
5× 48V 100Ah LiFePO4
24 kWh total · 18.2 kWh usable
7× 545W Mono (Jinko/Longi)
3.82 kWp total · 6.4 PSH
Overnight Battery
1 night on battery, grid fills the rest
Estimated Cost
$3,500 — $5,800
USD including installation
Standard inverters up to 5 kVA cannot safely run heating elements (electric stove, geyser element, kettle) continuously. For heavy heating loads, an 8–10 kVA inverter is required. Gas cooking and solar thermal geysers are strongly recommended.
These recommendations assume:
Estimates only — final design requires a site assessment.
Tariffs: Dec 2023 · Pricing: Q1 2025
Return on Investment
Projected payback period and lifetime savings over 25 years
Full Load system
Your ~$3,600 system pays for itself in 4 years
and saves you $69,393 over 25 years
vs $82,564 spent on grid electricity over the same period (at 10%/yr inflation)
Payback
4 yrs
System cost
$3.6k
25-yr savings
$69k
Battery replace
Yr 12
$1.1k
Cumulative savings vs system cost
Key assumptions used in this projection:
Estimates only — final design requires a site assessment.
Tariffs: Dec 2023 · Pricing: Q1 2025
Reduce Your System Size
These changes can dramatically shrink (and cheapen) the solar system you need
Electric stoves and kettles draw 2–3 kW each. Switching to LPG eliminates your biggest battery drain and can reduce system size by 30–50%.
Electric geysers draw 2–3 kW for 2+ hours daily. A solar thermal geyser or heat pump removes this load entirely.
Running the pump 10AM–2PM means it draws from live solar production rather than stored battery energy.
More Tips
Small changes in when and how you use power make a big difference
Not sure which tier is right for you?
A local installer can do a proper site assessment and give you an exact quote based on your roof, wiring, and usage patterns.