Heatrae Sadia has launched Megaflo Eco Solar PV Ready, an unvented
cylinder that heats hot water for free by harnessing excess electricity
generated by domestic solar PV arrays.
Around 877,000 homes
in the UK have solar PV panels installed, with almost 4,000
installations carried out in April 2016 alone*. However, it is estimated
that 50 per cent of users are not consuming the power produced by their
PV panels. This is because properties are generally unoccupied during
the daytime, and electrical appliances and lighting are therefore not
being used during daylight hours when the electricity is being
generated.
The 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.
To avoid any draw from the grid, a
‘buffer’ of energy will be retained; typically, if there is 2.2kW of
export energy, the controller will divert 2kW into the cylinder’s
immersion heater, leaving a 200kW buffer.
Megaflo Eco Solar
PV Ready can be used in conjunction with any PV array, whether existing
or new. Installing the cylinder is simple; the wiring is identical to
the Megaflo Eco, and providing the installer has a G3 unvented
qualification they don’t need any additional training. A separate remote
control – the Megaflo Buddy – enables the end user to control and
modify settings, and displays the energy and savings being generated.
Megaflo Eco Solar PV Ready will not affect the property owner’s FiT Generation
payments, this is a ‘deemed’ usage contract that has an export tariff
paid, whether the energy is consumed or not. Where an export meter is
fitted the benefits of Megaflo Eco PV Ready can still outweigh the costs
of heating water directly from the grid.
A programmable timer
with dual times is included, so that electricity from the grid can
still be used to heat the hot water when required and the user can take
advantage of economy energy tariffs.
John Forster, product
manager at Heatrae Sadia, said: “In a household with a PV array
generating a 2kW surplus and a 200 litre Megaflo Eco Solar PV Ready
cylinder, after five hours the hot water temperature can potentially
increase from 20oC to 60oC.
Cloudy weather will of course affect the amount of energy produced, but
even then the water will still be pre-heated, reducing the amount of
energy required to heat the cylinder.”
Megaflo Eco Solar PV
Ready is available in direct versions – in volumes of 210, 250 and 300
litres – and indirect versions – in volumes of 170, 210, 250 and 300
litres. The cylinder is NEMKO approved.
For further information, visit www.megaflo.com or call 01603 420 220.
https://www.heatraesadia.com/products/cylinders-an...
