Base on a 100kVA 3-phase supply.

To find your exact break-even point, your current monthly electricity consumption is the most critical variable. Because you are completely dropping your Eskom supply, you instantly save your fixed Landrate fees (~R7,643 per month) plus whatever you were paying for your usage (variable energy charges).

Assuming the South African prime lending rate remains at 10.50%, your loan interest rate at prime + 1% will be 11.50%.

Below is a precise financial model tracking how long it takes for a R2,000,000 loan to pay itself off, factoring in a 11.50% interest rate and a 12.5% annual Eskom tariff escalation, assuming you divert 100% of your former Eskom monthly budget directly into paying down the loan.

Break-Even Timeline by Monthly Bill Size

Key Financial Insights for Your Decision

• The Tipping Point (R25k+): If your current monthly bill is R25,000 or higher, the investment hits the sweet spot. A break-even of under 7 years is highly lucrative for commercial agricultural assets. Because Eskom’s tariffs compound at 12.5%, your savings grow aggressively every 12 months, radically cutting down the interest tail on your R2m loan.
• The Danger Zone (Under R20k): If your monthly usage is very low and your bill hovers closer to R15,000, the R2,000,000 loan will accrue interest faster than your initial Eskom savings can clear it in the first few years. It will take nearly 12 years just to break even, which exceeds standard battery replacement cycles.
• The Section 12B Tax Boost: As an agricultural business, you can likely claim the Section 12B / 12BA tax incentive. This allows you to deduct up to 125% of the solar investment cost from your taxable income in Year 1. On a R2m system, this can yield a massive cash-back or tax reduction of up to R540,000 (assuming a 27% company tax rate) in your first financial year, which would immediately knock your break-even period down by 1 to 2 years across all scenarios.

The post Facts and factors – SOLAR as alternative to ESKOM 100kVA first appeared on Racom SA (PTY) LTD.

This is for a 250kVA 3-phase supply       

Updating the asset investment to R4,500,000 for a full 250 kVA capacity off-grid solar system shifts the timeline framework significantly.

Assuming a financing rate of 11.50% (Prime 10.50% + 1%) and compounding Eskom tariff escalations of 12.5% per year, the breakdown below compares your break-even period across two models: a Standard Loan Payback (redirecting only your Eskom bill savings) and an Accelerated Payback (injecting your Year 1 Section 12BA tax incentive refund directly into the loan principal).

Break-Even Analysis: R4.5m Solar Investment

Current Monthly Eskom Bill	Year 1 Total Savings	Standard Loan Payback	With Section 12BA Tax Benefit
R35 000 / month	R420 000 / year	11.2 years	7.9 years
R50 000 / month	R600 000 / year	7.9 years	5.6 years
R75 000 / month	R900 000 / year	5.3 years	3.8 years
R100 000 / month	R1 200 000 / year	4.0 years	2.8 years
R125 000 / month	R1 500 000 / year	3.2 years	2.2 years
R150 000 / month	R1 800 000 / year	2.7 years	1.9 years

Critical Financial Drivers for the Business

• The Tax Catalyst (Section 12BA): Under South Africa’s current expanded tax rules for renewable energy, your agricultural business can deduct 125% of the R4,500,000 cost from taxable income in the first year. At a standard 27% corporate tax rate, this creates an immediate R1,518,750 cash-flow benefit. Lump-summing that tax shield into the loan at month 12 reduces your capital exposure to less than R3m and slashes up to 3.3 years off the repayment term.
• The Low-Consumption Interest Trap: If your current electricity consumption sits under R40,000 per month, a R4.5m loan accumulates interest faster than your utility savings can clear it in the initial years. This stretches the standard timeline past a decade. If your bill is low, an off-grid system of this price tag is heavily over-specified and financially inefficient.
• Hidden Post-Payback Costs (Battery Lifespans): Going entirely off-grid requires a massive, continuous battery bank to sustain heavy 3-phase machinery through nights and overcast days. While Tier-1 Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries easily survive 10 to 15 years (6,000+ cycles), you must factor in a localized component replacement reserve once the system clears its break-even point.

The post Facts and factors – SOLAR as alternative to ESKOM 250kVA first appeared on Racom SA (PTY) LTD.

Engineered for Heavy Electrical Loads

Whether you are managing massive irrigation networks, automated packsheds, large-scale cold storage facilities, or industrial commercial complexes, a standard residential setup simply won’t cut it. Your infrastructure demands robust, industrial-grade engineering that can effortlessly manage intense three-phase electrical loads. Leveraging our decades of strict technical expertise since 1978, we custom-engineer solar configurations built for maximum resilience and extreme environmental durability.

Our Tier-1 Commercial Product Range

We believe that a solar energy system is only as strong as its weakest component. That is why we exclusively partner with world-class, tier-1 hardware manufacturers to supply solutions that deliver a clear, reliable return on your investment:

• Solis Commercial Inverters: Industry-leading grid-tied and hybrid intelligent inverters, built to manage massive power loads with smart remote monitoring features.
• Esener Lithium Battery Storage: High-density, heavy-duty energy storage systems engineered for deep cycling, long lifespans, and exceptional thermal stability in harsh climates.
• Premium Monocrystalline Panels: Weather-resistant, high-wattage solar panels designed to capture maximum sunlight yield even in extreme African heat waves.

Turnkey Engineering & Professional On-Site Installation

We manage every single phase of your transition to renewable energy. Our comprehensive turnkey service covers:

1. Detailed commercial site energy audits and consumption analysis.
2. Custom engineering and system sizing matched specifically to your operational demands.
3. Professional on-site layout installation, structural integration, and full engineering commissioning.
4. Full regulatory compliance and Certificate of Compliance (CoC) sign-off.

Protect Your Bottom Line Today

Investing in commercial solar is no longer just an alternative — it is an absolute strategic necessity to protect your business profits and maintain a competitive edge. Let us help you take complete control of your energy future.

Ready to future-proof your farm or facility?

Contact our technical engineering workshop today for a comprehensive commercial solar consultation. 

Read more about the Facts and factors if you are considering SOLAR as alternative to ESKOM.

• Based on a 100kVA 3-phase supply.
• Based on a 250kVA 3-phase supply.

The post Commercial & Agricultural Solar Power Solutions first appeared on Racom SA (PTY) LTD.

Hytera repeaters offer more than extended RF coverage. They can serve as the foundation for a scalable DMR communication system that supports growth from a single-site operation to a wider multi-site network.

Key Benefits

• Excellent coverage: Models such as the HR1065 support up to 50 W, helping deliver strong coverage across large sites and demanding operating environments.

• Analogue + Digital: Hytera repeaters support both analogue and DMR digital operation, making it easier to migrate from an existing analogue system while protecting prior investment.

• IP Multi-Site: Multiple repeaters can be connected over an IP network, allowing users across different sites to communicate over a wider area. In DMR mode, IP Multi-Site can support up to 225 connected repeaters, while analogue mode can support up to 49 repeaters.

• XPT Pseudo-Trunking: Hytera XPT dynamically allocates available channels to improve capacity without requiring a dedicated control channel. Supported models include the HR1065 and HR1065 Advanced versions.

• Scalable: The system can start with a single repeater and expand to additional repeaters or sites as operational requirements grow. Hytera XPT also supports multi-site deployment for larger networks.

• Remote management: The HR1065 Advanced version supports IP-based remote programming, diagnostics, and control, reducing the need for physical visits to repeater sites.

• Futureproofing: Certain models, including the HR1065 and HR1065 Advanced, can be upgraded through licensing to support XPT Single-Site and XPT Multi-Site operation.

• DMR features: DMR capabilities include two time slots, voice and data services, group calling, and professional radio features that support efficient daily operations.

• Strong system integration: Hytera repeaters integrate with Hytera radios and applications such as Smart Dispatch Plus, creating a complete communication ecosystem rather than a collection of separate components.

• Cost-effective expansion: XPT can increase system capacity by using existing repeater infrastructure, helping organisations expand without immediately moving to a more complex trunking architecture.

• SIP integration: The repeater can connect to an existing IP PABX over Ethernet, enabling communication between telephone system users and radio users.

Where Hytera Has a Strong Advantage:

A key point is to the clear upgrade path. You can begin with a conventional DMR solution and then expand as your coverage, capacity, and operational needs increase.

Recommended growth path: Conventional DMR → IP Multi-Site → XPT → larger or more advanced network.

This makes Hytera repeaters especially suitable for mines, factories, logistics operations, municipalities, security companies, and large industrial sites where coverage and capacity often need to grow over time.

The post Benefits of Using Hytera Repeaters first appeared on Racom SA (PTY) LTD.