Making the most of your excess solar power
Over 21% of Australian homes now have rooftop solar installed. However, many owners are not maximising the full potential of their solar power system, especially when it comes to cutting their energy bills
Installing a solar power system is a smart way to offset your household electricity costs. The problem is, a large percentage of the energy produced by your solar panels may be sent back to the grid if the energy is generated when it’s not needed, i.e. in the middle of the day. But now there’s a way to maximise the full potential of your solar power system by using this excess power and cutting your energy costs even further.
Use your excess solar power; don’t lose it
Designed and built in Australia, Solahart PowerStore is Australia’s first solar-smart electric water heater. Together with a power meter/Gateway, it captures the excess energy from your rooftop solar panels and uses it to heat your water gradually, for use at a later time. Like a battery, it stores energy (in the form of hot water), only it’s a lot more affordable.
Soak up more power from your solar panels
Solar panels turn the sun’s rays into electricity. If the power generated is not used immediately, it is sent back to the grid. But Solahart PowerStore harvests this excess power to heat water.
A water heater like no other
Unlike conventional electric water heaters that use fixed-power heating elements, Solahart PowerStore uses triple-blade heating units designed to match the variable energy delivered from excess solar power.
There are two of these heating units in a Solahart PowerStore tank – one at the bottom, and one towards the top.
The top section of the tank is heated to 60 degrees regardless of the availability of excess solar power.
This process ensures there is hot water even on cloudy days.
When excess solar power is available, it is directed to the top heating unit and then to the bottom, based on the tank’s hot water content.
Heating then continues until the tank reaches its maximum temperature or there is no more excess solar power available.
It monitors, it co-ordinates, it controls, it saves
The Gateway that comes with your Solahart PowerStore complements your PV system by monitoring the solar power you’ve generated and the energy you consume via the atHome portal on your computer or smartphone.
If you subscribe to the Energy Management service, the Gateway will use tariff modelling, knowledge of your home energy usage patterns, and weather forecast data to co-ordinate the use of solar and grid energy, and further reduce your energy bills.
The Energy Management service includes automatic alerts by email and SMS if your energy devices are under-performing. You can rest easy, that thanks to the Combined Energy Gateway, you’re getting the most from your solar system at all times.