FAQs

General Question?

 

1) When do I pay for delivery?

 You pay a delivery fee of R150 if your order is less than R10000. Orders which are R10000 and above are free.

2) Is Ampho VAT registered?

We have been approved for VAT. Currently waiting for our registration number to be confirmed by SARS. It usually takes up to 21 busines days.

3) How will I know the status of my delivery?

Once your order has shipped, you’ll receive an email with tracking details so you can keep a close eye on your order until it reaches its destination. 

4) Can I collect my delivery from Ampho?

You may collect your delivery from 304 Oak Avenue, Randburg. Please collect delivery 24 hours after processing payment. Kindly call / whatsapp 067 827 1158 or email sales@ampho.co.za to notify us about your order collection time.

5) Do you offer wholesale purchases?

We are excited to offer our products at wholesale prices to businesses and retailers who are interested in partnering with us. If you would like to apply to stock from us, please call or whatsapp Ceaser on 076 340 7795 or email ceaser@ampho.co.za.

 

Technical Questions?

 1) My battery is constantly going to alarm mode, what causes this?

Most lithium-ion batteries make use of an internal BMS (Battery Management System) that manages and monitors the performance of a battery pack through the assessment of parameters such as state of charge, battery voltage, temperature etc. 

Alarms on the battery are triggered by the BMS when the battery operates outside of its optimum parameters. The most common causes are battery over-voltage (caused by over-charging), battery under-voltage (caused by over discharging), battery overload (caused by a higher load demand than what the battery can supply), over-temperature (caused by installing the battery in a non-ventilated area with a high ambient temperature).

2) Can I connect panels of different capacities on the same PV array?

It is not recommended to use panels of different capacities as this leads to system inefficiency (the overall power of the PV array will be limited to the panels with the less capacities). 

Additionally, when panels of different voltages are connected in a string the panel with the higher voltage would act as a generator and the panel with the lower voltage would perform as a load. 

Furthermore, the usage of different capacity panels invalidates the warranty for most panel brands.

3) What differentiates an off-grid inverter from a hybrid inverter considering that they both have the capability to connect to the grid?

An off grid inverter is a one-directional inverter (Power flows in a single direction – from the grid to the inverter – to either charge the battery or supply the loads). Whereas a hybrid inverter is a bi-directional inverter (Power flows in both directions on the AC side – from the grid to the inverter as well as from the inverter to the grid).

 In essence, a hybrid inverter is capable of supplying grid connected loads (non-essential loads) using the renewable sources (solar and battery). On the other hand, the off-grid inverters can only supply essential loads. Moreover, hybrid inverters require the usage of energy meters/CTs to control the flow of power to the grid.

4) What is the difference between maximum MPPT voltage and open circuit voltage as described on a solar module data sheet and which parameter should be considered when sizing a system?

The MPPT voltage is the voltage at which the PV module can produce maximum power.

The open circuit voltage is the voltage measured across the terminals when there is no current flowing in the circuit (no load connected), this represents the highest voltage that the panel can ever have. The open circuit voltage should be considered when designing a PV system as it has a direct effect on other devices connected to the same system.

Failure to consider the open circuit voltage may lead to damaged system equipment.