Harnessing the power of PVs
Domestic solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are big business. Installations have surged, and as PV panels become more popular, manufacturers are investing in ways to harness the full potential of the power they generate. As such, new and exciting innovations are entering the market. John Forster, product manager at Heatrae Sadia, explains.
According to a recent study, 60% of Brits who have yet to install solar panels would consider going solar by 2020. Thousands of installations have already taken place in 2016 and with the cost of PV panels falling, more homeowners can now consider making the leap.
Despite concerns following a reduction to Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) payments earlier this year, the UK remains a leader in the arena of solar power, with our total solar capacity breaking the 10GW barrier earlier this year.
However, the reduction does mean that it’s more important than ever that homeowners are able to get the best return from their panels. This means that existing and new consumers will be keen to adopt any technology that can enhance the savings offered by solar power.
For wholesalers, this means staying on top of which products are likely to offer maximum benefit to the homeowner, with minimum fuss for the installer.
The core issue with PVs lies with the difficulty of storing excess energy. Given that solar energy is generated during daylight hours whilst most people are at work, much of the power is lost as there is nobody home to consume it. As a result, approximately 50 per cent of solar PV users are not utilising the power produced by their PV panels, which means a surplus is created.
One solution is to use this extra energy to heat water. There are a few options for this, for example, via a hot water cylinder fitted with an immersion heater, but this carries its own issues. If a system isn’t properly managed, there is a risk that the homeowner could end up buying more electricity from their supplier, or they might be left with insufficient hot water for their daily needs.
Alternatively, there are solutions available to connect PV panels directly to a hot water cylinder, but these can be tricky for the installer to fit, and involve roof work meaning scaffolding and edge protection is necessitated.
A simpler and more reliable method is to use a specially designed hot water storage cylinder that has been optimised for use with PV arrays.
For example, the recently launched Megaflo Eco Solar PV Ready cylinder has been designed to ensure any surplus electricity can be used to heat hot water, free of charge, in turn reducing utility bills. Any power that is generated in addition to the household’s normal requirements will be diverted to the cylinder, rather than being sent to the grid. The water is heated to the desired temperature, controlled by a thermostat, ready for the household to use when required, with high-performance insulation keeping the water hot.
This doesn’t affect the property owner’s FiT Generation payments, as this is a ‘deemed’ usage contract that has an export tariff paid, whether the energy is consumed or not.
In a household with a PV array generating a 2kW surplus and a 200 litre PV cylinder, after five hours the hot water temperature can potentially increase from 20oC to 60oC – we estimate that this would result in savings of around £50 a year, based on average energy prices. The weather will of course affect the amount of energy produced, but PV cells don’t need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on cloudy days, so even then the water will still be pre-heated, reducing the amount of energy required to heat the cylinder.
A separate remote control – the Megaflo Buddy – enables the end user to control and modify settings, and displays the energy and savings being generated. In terms of making life simpler for the installer, the wiring is identical to the Megaflo Eco, and providing the installer has a G3 unvented qualification they don’t need any additional training.
Since the implementation of the new FiT scheme in February, homeowners are more motivated than ever to get the most out of their PV panels, which means new opportunities for installers. Whilst it’s yet to be seen whether the changed FiT rates will affect the PV market, there are still over 877,000 UK homes that have already adopted the technology, and would therefore benefit from a cylinder, which has been optimised to work with PV. With this in mind it’s important for wholesalers to be aware of the products which can answer this need and provide the best results for consumers, with a quick and easy fitting process for the installer.
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