Getting Solar Right in Portugal with John Wallace of Solviva.
Panels, batteries, electric vehicles and the costly mistakes to avoid.
Solar panels and batteries in Portugal: Solviva founder John Wallace explains system sizing, registration, EV charging and how to cut your electricity bills.
With 260 to 300 days of sunshine a year and electricity prices that keep climbing, Portugal is one of Europe’s most compelling places to go solar. Yet many homeowners and businesses end up with systems that are poorly sized, unregistered or impossible to upgrade. In this episode, Justin West sits down with John Wallace, founder of Solviva, who brought his experience from South Africa’s solar industry to Portugal to make the process simpler, more transparent and properly supported.
Justin shares his own frustrating experience with one of Portugal’s major energy providers: an oversized system, no backup capability during grid outages, delays with legal registration and a customer service line that offered few answers. John explains why generic “package” solutions so often fall short, and why every installation should begin with a careful analysis of current and future energy needs.
The conversation covers the essentials every property owner should understand before signing a contract: why systems above 700W must be registered by the installer, and why payment should be held back until that is complete; how correct sizing maximises self-consumption rather than exporting surplus energy for little return; the importance of choosing a hybrid inverter so batteries can be added later; and how bi-hourly tariffs can be used to charge batteries overnight at lower cost.
Looking ahead, John explores the arrival of vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid technology, expected within the next two to three years, which will allow electric vehicles to act as home batteries. He also discusses the realities of going fully off-grid versus staying grid-tied, the role and limits of AI in solar planning, and why experienced human advice still makes the difference.
With well-designed systems typically paying for themselves within three to six years, and some clients reducing their electricity bills by more than 80 per cent, this episode is an essential listen for anyone considering solar, batteries or an EV charger in Portugal.
To arrange a personalised solar consultation with John Wallace, visit www.solviva.biz, where you can complete the energy needs questionnaire or book a meeting directly.