Thermo Group — Solar Experts You Can Trust
Affordable solar installations for homes and businesses in Claremont — quality workmanship, transparent pricing, no premium mark-up.
At Thermo Group, we install solar PV, battery and hybrid systems throughout Claremont — a Southern Suburbs neighbourhood against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain that gets some of the highest rainfall anywhere in Cape Town, with a mix of Victorian and Edwardian-era homes near UCT. We design every Claremont system around those conditions from the first site visit, not as an afterthought.
Thinking about solar in Cape Town?
Free solar quotes, no obligation. Installation and City registration handled for you. Qualified from 2007.
Free solar quote · homes and businesses · no obligation
Tell us about your home or business in 5 quick steps
No prices on screen and no pushy sales. We call you back the same day, do a free site assessment, then send an accurate written quote.
Step 1 of 5
Where is the property?
Type of property
What do you need, and how much power do you use?
What are you looking for?
Roughly what is your monthly electricity bill?
Optional: a photo of a recent bill lets us size your system more accurately before we call. Skip this if you do not have one handy.
What must keep running when the power is off?
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Prefer to talk? Call 021 203 5337 or WhatsApp 082 302 0683
Our experienced team handles the complete solar installation process in Claremont — from surveying the property’s actual sun hours and shading, through design, installation, testing, compliance and registration.
Whether you’re looking for a solar PV system, battery backup, hybrid inverter or a complete energy solution, we design around your property’s electricity usage, roof and one of Cape Town’s wettest micro-climates and older character homes. We carry out both residential and commercial solar installations, and our technicians are experienced in installing and maintaining these systems for the long term.
Complete Solar Solutions
Our solar services include:
- ☀️ Solar panel installations
- 🔋 Battery storage systems
- ⚡ Hybrid and backup inverter systems
- 🏠 Residential solar installations
- 🏢 Commercial solar installations
- 🔧 Solar system upgrades and expansions
- 📋 Electrical compliance and certification
- 🏙️ SSEG applications and registration
- 📝 Solar system registration with the City of Cape Town
- 🔍 Solar system inspections and fault finding
- 🛠️ Ongoing solar maintenance and servicing
What We Design Around In Claremont
Highest Rainfall In Cape Town
Claremont’s position against the mountain means significantly more rain than flatter parts of the city. Roof penetrations and flashing get extra attention on every install.
Victorian & Edwardian Roof Lines
Tree-lined avenues near Cavendish and homes toward Newlands often mean older, character roof structures that need careful, non-standard mounting.
Rental & Student Housing
With a large number of student and short-term rentals near UCT, we set systems up with monitoring so a slow fault doesn’t go unnoticed.
Why A Claremont Solar Installation Isn’t A Generic Cape Town Job
Claremont sits right against the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, in the part of the Southern Suburbs that gets some of the highest rainfall anywhere in Cape Town thanks to the mountain trapping moisture off the Atlantic. Combined with a mix of Victorian and Edwardian-era homes and a large number of student and short-term rentals near UCT, that makes for a very different installation profile to the drier, flatter parts of the city. We don’t quote a Claremont installation off a standard template — our site visit accounts for both rainfall exposure and roof age.
Installing In One Of Cape Town’s Wettest Microclimates
The mountain traps significantly more rain over Claremont than most of the city sees. We pay close attention to roof penetrations, flashing and cable routing so waterproofing holds up long-term, not just through the first winter.
Working With Character Homes Near UCT
Victorian and Edwardian-era roof structures near Cavendish and Newlands need mounting that respects the existing roofline. On rental and student properties, we also set up monitoring so issues get flagged even when nobody’s watching closely.
Book Your Claremont Solar Installation Consultation
Fill out the form below to book a site visit and quote for a solar installation in Claremont. Already have solar and need a Certificate of Compliance too? See our dedicated Certificate of Compliance (COC) Services in Claremont page.
As trusted solar contractors serving Claremont, our qualified solar installers provide dedicated solar panel maintenance and PV system maintenance plans, so your investment keeps performing at its best for years to come.
We Don't Just Install — We Maintain
At Thermo Group, our relationship with our Claremont clients doesn’t end when the solar installation is complete.
We offer ongoing maintenance and servicing for Claremont solar systems, helping ensure equipment keeps operating safely and efficiently despite one of Cape Town’s wettest micro-climates and its older character wiring. Our team can assist with inspections, fault finding, inverter issues, battery systems, electrical connections and general system maintenance.
Regular maintenance can also help identify potential problems before they become expensive failures.
SSEG & City of Cape Town Registration
Installing a solar system is only part of the process. Where required, your system must also be properly documented and registered with the City of Cape Town.
Thermo Group can assist clients with the SSEG application and registration process, helping ensure that the required documentation, electrical compliance requirements and system information are correctly dealt with.
Our goal is to make the process as straightforward as possible for the property owner.
Your Local Solar Experts
From the initial site survey to installation, compliance, registration and ongoing maintenance, Thermo Group provides a complete solar solution for Claremont properties under one roof.
Driven by Quality. Powered by Trust.
More Solar Services
Explore our full range of solar installation and solutions services across Cape Town, find out more about our solar maintenance in Claremont, or see our Certificate of Compliance services in Claremont.
Roofs, Sun and Mountain Shade in Claremont
Upper Claremont sits on the elevated slopes of Table Mountain’s eastern flank, while Lower Claremont lies to the east of it. That position matters for solar in two ways. Properties close to the slopes may lose direct sun earlier in the afternoon, particularly in winter, and the tree cover that gives the avenues their character can shade roofs for part of the day. A proper site survey measures both, using the actual roof, not an average for the city.
The roofs themselves vary a great deal:
- Historic Victorian and Edwardian houses. Often pitched, with timber structures that should be assessed before they carry added weight, and sometimes with roof coverings that are fragile or that must be matched if disturbed.
- Newer family homes and townhouses. Tiled or sheeted roofs, where hooks or clamp-on rails are used and the pitch and orientation decide how many panels fit.
- Apartment blocks. Flat concrete roofs that can take ballasted frames, but are shared and have waterproofing that must not be compromised.
- Commercial buildings. Larger flat or low-pitch roofs, often with plant, lift rooms and air-conditioning units that create shade and limit space.
The City recommends having the roof’s weight and wind loading checked before any panels go up. For the wider picture, see our solar installations in Cape Town page.
Trees, Leaves and Shading Solutions
Upper Claremont is known for its tree-lined avenues, and mature trees are a design question for any solar system. Shade on even one panel can reduce the output of a whole string, depending on how the system is wired.
Ways to handle shade
- Choose the right slope. A less ideal orientation with no shade can outperform a perfect one that is shaded for part of the day.
- Use panel-level electronics where needed. Optimisers or microinverters limit the effect of shade on a single panel. Ask the installer to explain whether they are needed and what they add.
- Consider other mounting areas. A garage roof, a carport or a pergola may be better exposed than the main roof.
- Trim with permission. Pruning is sometimes the simplest answer, but it may need consent if the tree is protected, or if it overhangs a neighbour. Check before cutting anything.
Leaves and debris
Leaves, bird droppings and dust sit on panels beneath trees, so allow for a cleaning routine. Use soft brushes and low-pressure water, in the cooler hours of the day, and never use a pressure washer or abrasive cleaner. The inverter’s monitoring app shows when output drops, which is often the first sign that panels need attention. See our solar maintenance page for aftercare options.
Historic Homes and Harfield Village Cottages
Harfield Village has Victorian and Edwardian cottages that date from the mid-1880s, on small plots, and according to the village’s own information it is treated as a special area, with properties older than 60 years needing heritage permission for changes. National legislation also applies to buildings over 60 years old elsewhere in Claremont. Solar on such a house is possible, but it needs a careful approach.
- Check first. Contact the City’s heritage section, and the village association if you are in Harfield, before you finalise a design that will be visible from the street.
- Prefer the hidden slope. Rear-facing or side roof slopes keep the street view unchanged, as long as they receive enough sun.
- Keep the layout tidy. Rectangular arrays, even spacing and black rails look more deliberate on an older roof.
- Protect the fabric. Use fixings and sealants that suit the existing roof covering, and avoid cutting into decorative features.
- Think about the battery. A small cottage may have little room for one, so plan a wall position that is dry, ventilated and accessible.
Wiring routes deserve the same thought as panel positions. In an older house, the cable from the roof to the inverter and board has to travel through a ceiling space and down a wall, and the inverter itself needs a cool, accessible spot with room around it. Ask the installer to show you where each cable and component will go before work starts, and to mark the positions on a simple sketch.
A small roof may take a modest array, and a clear explanation from the installer of what it will cover is better than an optimistic sales promise.
Solar for Apartments, Townhouses and Sectional Title Schemes
A large share of Claremont’s housing is sectional title. That makes the question of who owns the roof, and who approves the work, a central part of any solar project.
- Roof rights. The roof is normally common property. An individual owner generally needs the trustees’ written approval to use it, and some schemes give exclusive use of a portion of roof to a unit.
- Collective or individual systems. A scheme can install one system for common areas, such as lifts, lighting and pumps, or individual owners can install their own. The City treats group developments and flats case by case, so the scheme should speak to the City early.
- Battery location. Batteries need a dry, ventilated, properly racked position. Many apartments have no suitable space inside the unit, and a shared plant room needs the trustees’ consent.
- Insurance. The body corporate’s insurer should know about a system on common property.
- Cable routes. Penetrations through common walls and roofs must be agreed and sealed correctly.
Where a unit has no usable roof, backup power from a battery inverter on selected circuits may be the realistic option. Both options need to be registered with the City.
City of Cape Town Rules That Shape Your Claremont System
If your Claremont property is on a City electricity account, the City’s small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) rules apply. Here are the points that affect design and running costs most:
- Limits tied to your supply. The City ties the size of the inverter, and any export, to your main circuit breaker and to whether you have a single-phase or three-phase supply.
- Battery charging current. It is limited to a share of the main breaker rating, so a large battery does not always mean faster charging.
- Anti-islanding and changeover. Inverters must shut down safely if the grid fails, and an interlocked changeover is required for essential loads.
- Meters. A property that will feed power back to the grid needs an AMI meter at the owner’s cost. A property that will not export gets a prepayment meter, which the City installs at its cost.
- Credit for exports. Exported energy is credited against your municipal account. Rates are reviewed each financial year, so no figure in a quote should be treated as permanent.
- Changes later. Adding panels or batteries means a new application.
Registration costs nothing, but failing to register can lead to penalties and disconnection. Thermo Group handles SSEG registration for its solar installations. Rules change, so check the City’s current requirements before you decide.
Designing Backup for Gates, Pools, Security and Evening Loads
A typical large Claremont home has more to keep alive than a flat does: gate motors, alarms, cameras, a pool pump, irrigation, and often a home office. Start the design with a list, and sort it into three groups.
| Group | Examples | Usually backed up? |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Lights, router, fridge, security, gates, TV and laptops. | Yes. |
| Useful | Home office equipment, a single heater, a circulation pump. | Sometimes, depending on battery size. |
| Heavy | Geyser, stove, tumble dryer, air conditioning, pool heating. | Usually not, or only on a larger system. |
Lithium iron phosphate batteries generally allow deeper daily use than lead-acid and weigh less, so they are the common choice for homes. Ask for the usable capacity, not only the headline rating. Evening and overnight use is what the battery has to cover, so a household that cooks and bathes at night has different needs from one that is out during the day. Reducing the demand first, for example with a geyser timer, makes the battery you buy smaller and the system easier to size.
Commercial Roofs on Main Road, Quote Checks and Insurance
Claremont has shops, medical practices, offices and financial businesses along Main Road, and many of them have daytime loads that match the sun. A commercial installer should ask about your tariff, your supply capacity and your demand pattern, and explain how a battery might shift consumption away from peak periods. Larger systems face more detailed engineering review by the City. Section 12B has offered a tax deduction for qualifying PV, but conditions have changed and depend on ownership, so ask your accountant.
Before you sign, check that the quote
- Is based on your bills and a visit to the roof.
- Names the inverter and states that it is on the City’s approved list.
- Says who submits the SSEG application and arranges the sign-off.
- Includes a certificate of compliance for the electrical work. A PV GreenCard report is a voluntary as-built record and does not replace it.
- Describes what the system will cover during an outage, in plain language.
Tell your insurer about the system and keep the invoice and certificate. Thermo Group is an ECA and SAPVIA member and holds the PV GreenCard; quotes are free with no call-out fee and no obligation. Phone 021 203 5337 or 082 302 0683, or request a quote. Nearby, see Newlands, Kenilworth and Rondebosch, or electrician in Claremont for related electrical work.
Solar Installers Claremont: More Questions Answered
Not necessarily, but it needs to be designed for. A shading analysis of the actual roof shows how much sun each panel gets through the day. Choosing the right slope, using panel-level optimisers, or mounting on another structure can reduce the effect. In some cases, trimming a tree is the simplest answer, subject to any permission required.
Often yes, though buildings over 60 years old fall under national heritage legislation, so check with the City’s heritage section first. Panels on a rear or side slope are easiest to approve. The roof structure also needs assessing, because older timbers and coverings may need reinforcement or careful fixing.
Usually only with the body corporate’s written approval, because the roof and cable routes are common property. Some schemes allocate exclusive roof areas, others prefer one system for the whole building. The City treats flats and group developments case by case. If no roof is available, battery backup on selected circuits may be a better fit.
A non-export system uses solar and battery power on site and does not feed the surplus back to the City. The City installs a prepayment meter for such properties at its own cost. You still need to register the system. It can be simpler than an export system, though you will not be credited for unused solar energy.
The City’s technical requirements link battery charging current to the rating of your main circuit breaker, so that the supply is not overloaded. This means a bigger battery does not always charge faster. A good designer will check the limit against your breaker and explain what a realistic charging time is.
Yes. The City treats modifications and expansions as new applications, so changes to a registered system should not be made without telling it. When you plan the first system, ask the installer to leave room in the design for expansion so the later application is straightforward.
A gate motor is a small load and is usually included in the backed-up circuits. A pool pump is a larger, longer-running load. Many owners run it from solar during the day on a timer, and leave it off the battery circuits. The installer needs to know the pump’s rating and when you want it to run.
Ask for proof of professional membership and a reference. Thermo Group is a member of ECA and SAPVIA, and holds the PV GreenCard. Certified installers can be looked up on the PV GreenCard website. Also confirm who handles the City’s SSEG registration and the sign-off, and that a certificate of compliance is part of the quote.
Book Your Claremont Solar Installation
Fill in your details below and our team will contact you to discuss your solar installation or maintenance needs in Claremont.
How much does solar installation cost in Claremont?
It depends on your household’s usage and system size — a small backup system for essentials during load shedding costs far less than a full system covering your whole home. We assess your usage and roof before quoting, so you get an accurate price rather than a generic estimate.
How long does a solar installation take in Claremont?
Most residential installations take 1 to 3 days on site, depending on system size and roof complexity, plus the time needed for approvals. We’ll give you a clear timeline once we’ve assessed your property.
Claremont gets a lot of rain against the mountain — does that affect installation?
It’s a factor we plan for. Claremont’s position against the mountain gives it one of the wettest micro-climates in Cape Town, so we make sure seals, enclosures and cable entries are installed to handle sustained wet-weather exposure from day one.
Will solar keep my home running during load shedding?
Yes. A correctly installed and configured solar and battery system will keep your essential circuits running during load shedding, and we handle the City of Cape Town’s SSEG registration and Notice of Completion as part of every installation.
Do you also handle compliance certificates and ongoing maintenance for the system?
Yes. We issue the Solar Certificate of Compliance your installation needs, and we offer ongoing maintenance and fault-finding to keep it performing well for years — whether we installed it or another company did.
Solar Installations & Maintenance in Claremont
Registered, experienced solar technicians serving Claremont’s character-home and rental properties — installation, compliance, registration and ongoing maintenance.
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Other Thermo Services In Claremont
- Certificate of Compliance Claremont
- Electrician Claremont
- Emergency Electrician Claremont
- Solar Maintenance & Repairs Claremont
See all Solar Installation areas in Cape Town or everything we offer in the Southern Suburbs.
