Thermo Group: Solar Experts You Can Trust
Solar installations for homes and businesses in Table View : quality workmanship, clear written quotes and proper registration.
At Thermo Group, we provide professional solar installation solutions throughout Table View and the surrounding Cape Town areas, helping homeowners and businesses take control of their energy costs while improving energy independence.
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?
Tick anything specific you want covered (optional)
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Where should we call you?
Best time to call
Preferred time for the free site assessment
By sending this you agree to our solar quote terms. We use your details only to contact you about this request.
Prefer to talk? Call 021 203 5337 or WhatsApp 082 302 0683
Our experienced team handles the complete solar installation process, from assessing your property and designing the right system, through to installation, testing, compliance and registration.
Whether you are looking for a solar PV system, battery backup, hybrid inverter or a complete energy solution, we work with you to design a system suited to your property’s electricity usage and requirements.
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
We Don't Just Install, We Maintain
At Thermo Group, our relationship with our clients doesn’t end when the solar installation is complete.
We offer ongoing maintenance and servicing for our clients’ solar systems, helping ensure that their equipment continues operating safely and efficiently. 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.
As solar contractors serving Table View, 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.
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 consultation to installation, compliance, registration and ongoing maintenance, Thermo Group provides a complete solar solution 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, or find out more about our solar maintenance plans.
Solar in Table View: Complexes, Townhouses and Family Homes
Table View looks across Table Bay on Cape Town’s West Coast, and its housing falls into two broad groups. One property agency’s area profile puts almost three-quarters of the suburb’s stock in sectional title, meaning flats, apartments and townhouses, with the rest mostly three-bedroom houses. Profiles like that date quickly, but the pattern is easy to spot on the street: complexes and blocks on one side, freehold family homes on the other.
For solar, that split matters more than almost anything else, because it decides who is allowed to say yes to the roof.
- Freehold house. The owner decides, subject to the state of the roof and any design rules if the house sits inside a security estate.
- Townhouse or flat in a scheme. The roof is shared, which brings in the body corporate, and the cable run from the roof to your own board usually crosses common areas as well.
- Rented home or business premises. The landlord has to agree in writing, and a lease may limit what can be fixed to the roof.
So the first step is a talk about the roof, long before anyone mentions panel brands. Tell us whether you own a house or a unit, who manages the building, and what you want solar to do for you, and the quote will be built around those answers. Neighbouring areas have their own pages, including solar installations in Parklands, Sunningdale and Big Bay, and our main solar installations page covers the full range of work across Cape Town.
Body Corporate and Estate Approval Before the Panels Go Up
In a sectional title scheme, panels on a shared roof are a matter for the whole body corporate under the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act, and trustees must also approve changes that alter how the building looks or is built. Some schemes solve the roof question with an exclusive-use arrangement for the area above each section, adopted by the required resolution. Schemes differ, so the managing agent is the right first call.
A sensible order of events looks like this:
- Find out what already exists. Some schemes have a solar policy or rule, and others are starting from scratch.
- Put the proposal in writing. Describe where the panels would go, how the roof will be fixed and sealed, where the inverter and any battery would sit, and the cable route to your board.
- Answer the trustees’ technical questions. Expect them to ask about waterproofing, wind loading, fire safety and who will insure and maintain the equipment.
- Get the decision in writing. Keep the minutes or the signed approval with your other paperwork.
- Only then submit the City application. Approval from the scheme comes first, so the registration reflects what is actually allowed.
Houses inside a security complex or estate may face a different kind of control. A homeowners’ association can set design rules about equipment visible from the street, so check yours before choosing a roof slope. We cannot tell you what a particular estate allows, and your managing agent or association can. If you rent, ask your landlord for consent in writing before anything is ordered.
Wind, Salt and Exposure on the Table Bay Coast
Wind
Cape Town’s south-easter is strongest from about October to March, and the Table Bay shoreline sits among the windier parts of the city. Come winter, cold fronts arrive from the north-west with rain and gusts off the water. Panels catch wind like sails, so rails, clamps and fixings have to be chosen and tightened to suit that exposure, and the timber or steel under them has to be in good order. Where the roof is pitched, panels laid flat to the roof slope generally suit this coast better than panels propped up at an angle.
Where a roof is flat, the array usually sits on tilt frames. They are held down with ballast or with fixings that pass through the waterproofing, and each penetration needs a proper seal. Ask who is responsible if the waterproofing is later damaged, because that question should be answered before the first bracket goes on.
Salt
Salt-laden air speeds up corrosion on frames, fasteners, connectors and enclosures. Three habits help. Ask for modules that carry salt mist certification under IEC 61701, which is the standard for panels used near the sea. Insist on stainless or suitably coated fixings, and on keeping aluminium frames from touching dissimilar steel, since that contact can cause galvanic corrosion. And choose outdoor-rated inverters and isolators, mounted out of the direct wind where the layout allows.
Sun and shade
Roofs facing north generally collect the most over a year, and those facing east or west trade a little yield for output spread across the morning or afternoon. Shade deserves a proper check. Lift motor rooms, parapets, satellite dishes, neighbouring buildings and trees inside a complex can all cut the output of a string. Cape Town winters also bring shorter days and cloud, so ask for the July estimate next to the annual figure.
Hybrid, Grid-Tied or Battery Backup: Choosing for a Table View Property
What you want solar to do decides the system. Cutting the daytime bill is a different job from keeping the lights on during an outage, and most owners want some of each. The table gives a starting point for common Table View situations.
| Situation | Sensible starting point | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Family house, empty during the day, busy in the evening | Hybrid system with a battery feeding an essential-loads circuit | Battery sized for evening use, and a board that can be split into backed-up and normal circuits |
| Home office or house with people at home all day | Panels sized to daytime load, with or without a small battery | Big loads such as the geyser and pool pump left off the backed-up circuit |
| Townhouse with a small exclusive-use roof area | Compact hybrid system | Scheme approval, roof area, and where the battery can safely stand |
| Flat with no roof of its own | Speak to the trustees first about what the scheme will permit | Shared-roof rules and cable routes through common areas |
Without a battery, a grid-tied inverter switches itself off during a power cut, deliberately, so that it cannot push power into a line others may be repairing. Outage cover therefore means a battery and a hybrid inverter. Inside its supply area the City of Cape Town now treats every new solar and battery system as grid-tied, with 1 October 2023 as the cut-off, and standby or off-grid applications are no longer taken.
Age of the existing wiring is the other local factor. The same agency profile that describes the stock suggests that most freehold houses date from the 1980s and 1990s, and that many seafront complexes were developed between 1980 and 1990. A board from that period may need attention before it can take a solar and battery feed, and our distribution board upgrades and Table View electricians can sort that out ahead of the solar work so there are no surprises on installation day.
SSEG Registration, the COC and Insurance for Table View Owners
Whose customer you are decides the route. Where the electricity account is held by the City of Cape Town, the City wants any solar or battery system tied into your wiring approved before it is fitted and before it is switched on, under its small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) rules. There is no charge to register, and the City’s published position is that a fee arises only for owners who skip it. A property supplied by Eskom or by another municipality is dealt with under that supplier’s process.
In outline: the application is lodged on the City’s e-Services portal, by you or by an installer you authorise. The proposed inverter has to appear on the City’s approved list. A Permission to Install letter follows, allowing the work to be done while keeping the system switched off. Once the installation is finished, the certificate, commissioning report and signed supplemental contract go to the City, a professional registered with ECSA signs off the commissioning report, and the system may go live only after the commissioning letter is issued. For blocks of flats and group developments the City assesses each application individually, which is another reason to involve the trustees early.
Do not confuse the Certificate of Compliance with the City’s approval. The first shows that the electrical work was tested and is safe, and the second permits the connection to the network, so a grid-tied or hybrid system needs both. What the testing covers is set out in our page on the solar certificate of compliance. For systems we install, Thermo Group deals with the SSEG registration itself.
Let your insurer know when the system is finished, so the panels, inverter and batteries appear on the policy schedule. Selling later brings one more step: the City expects the incoming owner to sign a fresh supplemental contract, and conveyancers are asking for these papers more often. Our Table View compliance certificates page covers what else is needed on a sale.
Guesthouses, Shops and Small Businesses in Table View
Table View is not only a dormitory suburb. It has shopping centres and retail, and accommodation for visitors has been growing, with guesthouses, backpacker lodges and apartments catering for the seasonal crowd drawn to the beachfront. Each of these uses electricity differently, so the solar design differs too.
- Guesthouses and self-catering apartments. Hot water, laundry, kitchens and Wi-Fi run morning and evening, and guests notice an outage immediately. A hybrid system with a battery can keep essential circuits alive, and panels can cover the laundry and daytime loads.
- Shops, salons and offices. Fridges, lighting, tills and air-conditioning run through trading hours, which lines up well with sunshine. A daytime-focused design often makes sense here, with backup limited to the tills, lights and fridges you cannot afford to lose.
- Tenants in a shopping centre or business park. The landlord usually controls the roof and the supply, so the first conversation is about who owns, pays for and benefits from a system.
What a business saves depends on its tariff as well as on panel output. Business tariffs often mix energy charges, time-of-use periods and a charge for peak demand. Solar trims the units bought in daylight, yet it cannot promise a smaller peak charge, because your busiest period may fall on an overcast afternoon. Tax is a separate question: Section 12B of the Income Tax Act has at times allowed a deduction for qualifying solar, but the rules have moved and depend on ownership, so put the question to your accountant first.
Quote Checklist, Cleaning and Next Steps for Table View Solar
Here is what to look for when you hold quotes side by side for a Table View property, ours among them.
- Brand, model and number of panels, inverters and batteries, plus the battery’s usable capacity.
- Written confirmation that the modules carry IEC 61701 salt mist certification.
- Stainless or coated fixings, and a statement of how aluminium frames are kept clear of dissimilar metals.
- A roof and wind-load assessment, including how waterproofing will be protected on flat roofs.
- Who obtains body corporate or association approval, and who handles the City application and the electrical certificate.
- Which circuits stay live in a cut, and the spot chosen for the battery.
- Handover documents, including a PV GreenCard as-built report. Thermo Group holds PV GreenCard, and that report records the design and equipment of the system.
Be cautious of any quote prepared without a site visit, any that treats City registration as optional, and any that asks for full payment up front.
After installation, salt and dust build up on the glass. A gentle rinse with clean water, early or late in the day when the glass is cool, shifts most of it, with a soft brush for stubborn patches. Keep pressure washers and scouring pads away from the glass, and stay off the roof unless you have fall protection. Checking fixings, connectors, earthing and the inverter once a year, and again after a hard storm, finds loose parts early. Our solar maintenance team does these checks, and the solar repairs and fault finding service tracks down tripping or underperformance.
To discuss your own roof, ring 021 203 5337 or 082 302 0683, or fill in the quote request form. We quote for free, charge no call-out fee and expect no commitment from you.
Solar Installers Table View: More Questions Answered
Only with the scheme’s agreement. A shared roof needs the trustees and body corporate to consent, and some schemes give owners exclusive use of the roof above their section by resolution. Ask your managing agent what the rules are and we can design around them. A freehold house is simpler, because the owner decides.
By designing for the exposure. We check the roof structure, use rails and clamps spaced and torqued for wind load, and prefer flush mounting on pitched roofs. Flat roofs need ballast or sealed fixings, and ballast alone is not always enough. A yearly check, and one after a severe storm, catches any loose fixings before they become a problem.
It is sensible to insist on it. Look for modules with IEC 61701 salt mist certification, stainless or coated fixings, and outdoor-rated inverters and isolators. Aluminium frames should not touch dissimilar steel, because that can cause galvanic corrosion. Ask for the certification on the quote, and for a clear statement of which fixings will be used.
Not necessarily. An older board may lack modern earth leakage protection or space for a solar and battery circuit, and the earthing may need checking. We inspect the board and wiring at the site visit. Where work is needed it is quoted before installation, so the Certificate of Compliance can be issued once everything is tested.
Often yes, though it depends on the load. Guesthouses typically use power for hot water, laundry, kitchens and Wi-Fi. A hybrid system can keep essential circuits running during an outage while panels cover daytime use. Heavy loads such as geysers, ovens and air-conditioning are usually left off the backed-up circuit. We size it from your bills and your guests’ routine.
File the electrical Certificate of Compliance, the City’s Permission to Install and commissioning letters, the commissioning report, the PV GreenCard as-built report, equipment details, invoices and any scheme or association approval. Insurers may ask for them after a claim, and they help when the property is sold.
Salt and dust build up on the glass and can reduce output, so an occasional rinse helps. Use clean water when the glass is cool, with a soft brush for stubborn marks, and keep harsh chemicals, scouring pads and pressure washers away. Stay off the roof unless fall protection is in place. If your inverter app shows output slipping against comparable clear days, a dirty array is the first thing to check.
If load-shedding or outages are your concern, choose hybrid, because only a battery and hybrid inverter keep circuits running when the grid fails. If you are mostly at work during the day and do not need backup, grid-tied can suffice. The City registers both types as grid-tied, so approval is needed either way.
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Solar Installations & Maintenance in Table View
Registered, experienced solar technicians serving Table View and the surrounding Cape Town area, installation, compliance, registration and ongoing maintenance.
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- Emergency Electrician Table View
- Solar Maintenance and Repairs
See all Solar Installation areas in Cape Town or the areas we service.
