Increased self-consumption through photovoltaic heat
Swiss family increases self-consumption
In single-family house in the canton of Aargau, the Swiss software manufacturer Solar Manager controls the AC•THOR 9s!
Facts about the project
- Builder
- Planner and installer
- Photovoltaic power and orientation
- Heat storage size (boiler or buffer storage)
- Building type
- Year of construction and number of square meters
- my-PV product in use
- Inverter & battery storage
- System control
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For a Swiss customer, the desire for increased self-consumption was decisive in looking for a photovoltaic heat solution. Together with Martin Essig, planner at R. Hegi AG, the solution was quickly found. Since the commissioning with the components (inverter and battery storage from SolarEdge, system control with Solar Manager) has worked well several times with my-PV, the recommendation for the Austrian expert in solutions for self-consumption optimization was also made here.
The controllability and integration of my-PV solutions with the Swiss software company Solar Manager have already worked well in various applications. Here is an example of the Cape Verde Islands, where the combination is controlled from Switzerland.
Personal customer opinion and resumee
The system, including the self-consumption optimization by my-PV, has been in operation since July 2023. "We are very satisfied with its functionality, easy control, and sound operation. There are many options adjustable via the Solar Manager App, which is great. The favourable price-performance ratio also convinced us to take this step – so far, we are extremely happy with it," summarizes the Swiss builder his experiences.
How the system is structured
The Schmid family resides in a small town at the German border, in a single-family house of 150 square meters. The conditions are perfect for photovoltaic hot water production: A house built in 2011, equipped with a 14 kWp photovoltaic system. While products from my-PV are compatible with the SolarEdge inverter as well, in this project, the energy management is done with Solar Manager and confers the power specifications to the AC•THOR 9s.
The AC•THOR 9s linearly controls the surplus from the photovoltaic system for heat generation – after charging the battery and meeting the needs of household consumers. This enables a 6 kW heating element, already present in the 300-liter hot water tank, to be controlled and precisely modulated according to the surplus from the photovoltaic system. This ensures that only the power, which would be fed into the public power grid, is used for heat preparation. If there is additional PV yield available on sunny days, it is fed into the grid.
With this increase in self-consumption, it is guaranteed that the hot water demand for the 4-person household is met in the single-family house.
Nevertheless, the advantage of photovoltaic heat is evident. With the large photovoltaic system, a strong control range is needed, which the AC•THOR 9s provides by linearly regulating from 0 to 9 kW. Additionally, it can be used for heating elements with lower power, provided that a neutral conductor connection is available. With its extensive control range, the AC•THOR 9s can utilize a significant surplus directly in the single-family house for hot water. Thereby, the grid is relieved, surplus peaks are smoothed out, costs are saved since hot water is prepared during the day using solar power via the heating element, rather than being heated in the evening with a different heating system.
What makes it special is the fact that the AC•THOR 9s from my-PV is controlled by the Swiss manufacturer Solar Manager, following the approach of flexible communication with other systems. It relies on surplus information from SolarEdge, the Israeli expert in inverters and battery storage. This way, the customer avoids the need for additional measuring points, as my-PV is both capable of controlling and being controlled when integrated in a compatible overarching system. You can find an overview of my-PV's compatible partners here.
What happens on a day with too little solar yields?
On most days, the photovoltaic system is sufficient to heat the hot water using surplus solar power for the 4 individuals who are residing permanently in the single-family house. On days when there is insufficient solar energy production, no other (fossil) energy source will be used in the future. This is also regulated by the hot water backup function of Solar Manager, ensuring that there is full comfort for the family in the canton of Aargau.
Real system data of this reference project
Curious about the operating data of the facility? Explore the analysis data in our demo version of the my-PV Cloud and get an overview of how the surplus PV power is utilized for the preparation of hot water.
To the demo access of the my-PV Cloud
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AC•THOR 9s
in use
Simple & efficient: AC•THOR 9s controls up to 3 electrical heat sources depending on the availability of PV energy and heat demand – for both hot water, as well as for space heating. It ensures your personal living comfort fully automatically.
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