South Africans bought backup batteries because they needed to keep their homes and businesses running when the electricity grid could not.
Several years after the worst of the load shedding crisis, many of those systems are entering a new stage of their lives. Early adopters may be approaching the end of longer warranty periods, while batteries purchased during the 2022 surge are nearing the end of shorter warranties.
According to Lance Dickerson, managing director of local battery supplier REVOV, this makes now a good time for owners to assess whether their existing systems are still delivering the value they need.
Dickerson said South Africans should move away from viewing backup power as an emergency purchase and instead regard batteries as long term assets.
“South Africans invested heavily in backup power because they needed resilience. Several years on, the smart question is how to get the greatest possible value from those assets for as long as they are properly supported,” Dickerson said.
He identified eight questions households and businesses should consider before deciding whether to keep, repair, upgrade, trade in or replace an energy backup system.
1. How old is the battery and what does the warranty cover?
Owners should establish when the system was installed, how long the warranty lasts and who is responsible for honouring it. Warranty expiry does not mean a battery has failed, but once formal cover ends, the owner takes on greater risk.
2. Is the battery still performing as expected?
Changes in runtime, repeated shutdowns, warning messages or unusual behaviour should be investigated. A performance issue does not necessarily mean the entire battery needs replacing. The problem may be repairable.
3. Can you still get local support?
Owners should establish whether trained technical support is available in South Africa and how faults are handled after the warranty expires. A product without meaningful local support can become difficult and expensive to maintain.
4. Are replacement parts available?
Battery systems contain components beyond the cells, including battery management systems and communications interfaces. If individual components cannot be replaced, an otherwise useful battery could be discarded because of a single failure.
5. Does the system still suit your electricity needs?
Household and business electricity requirements can change significantly over several years. Before replacing a system, owners should determine whether its current capacity and configuration remain suitable.
6. Is keeping the battery still economical?
A reliable battery with proper support may remain useful well beyond its initial warranty period. However, frequent repairs, reduced capacity or limited support can change the economics. Owners should compare the cost of maintaining the existing system with upgrades or replacement options and ask whether a trade in is available.
7. Would an upgrade make more sense than a replacement?
An older system may not need to be replaced entirely. Depending on compatibility, some components may remain useful while others are upgraded. Dickerson said owners should work with qualified specialists and reputable brands that offer local support.
8. What happens when you are finished with it?
A battery reaching the end of its original application does not necessarily mean it has reached the end of its useful life.
The broader principle is that batteries should be assessed for remaining value before recycling becomes the final option.
Ultimately, a battery should be kept if it performs reliably and has credible support. It should be repaired when the battery remains sound and the fault can be serviced.
An upgrade may make sense when requirements have changed, while replacement becomes appropriate when performance, compatibility, support or repair costs no longer justify keeping the system.
A trade in can also reduce the cost of moving to newer technology.
“Trading in what you already own is always an option worth putting on the table,” Dickerson said.
ashley.lechman@nationalmg.co.za