2022 Top Article - Solar PV and Thermal Energy Storage - AltEnergyMag

Energy retention is simply a cardinal request arsenic we modulation to renewable vigor sources. Thermal vigor retention is precise effective, has precocious vigor density and precise debased cost.

2022 Top Article - Solar PV and Thermal Energy Storage

Q&A with Mitch Hodges, Co-Founder & CEO | GreenPWR

Tell america astir yourself and your relation with GreenPWR.

Mitch Hodges- cofounder and CEO of GreenPWR.  I americium an electrical technologist with anterior acquisition successful mobile devices, IoT devices, astute lighting systems, and present into renewable vigor devices. 

GreenPWR started aft I near my anterior occupation successful the mobile instrumentality abstraction and studied for my masters successful sustainable and renewable vigor astatine the University of Nottingham.  During my studies, I met the Hockerton Housing Project squad (currently 1 of our cofounders successful GreenPWR) and began enactment connected a renewable vigor retention strategy utilizing PV for blistery water.  After that abbreviated task timeframe of 3 months, we had a moving prototype.  It was wide this was a feasible merchandise for the marketplace and modernised renewable blistery h2o production, truthful we proceeded guardant with bringing this to marketplace with our 2 further cofounders.

Where are we with Solar Thermal?  How has exertion precocious blistery h2o accumulation via PV implicit the past fewer years.

Innovations successful star thermal systems person reached a plateau.  Simple thermosyphon systems with a vessel connected the extortion exist, though the installation practicality is limited.  Any temperate clime wherever freezing is imaginable volition necessitate the much analyzable closed loop strategy which has plumbing from the extortion done the home, a specialized blistery h2o vessel with a vigor exchanger, and a pump.  These components person imaginable nonaccomplishment cases which are catastrophic to the star thermal system.  With immoderate plumbing system, leaks are possible.  Overheating is different interest successful the lawsuit determination is small h2o usage oregon if a pump were to fail.

PV has seen decreasing prices implicit the years.  This has allowed systems based connected PV to go much viable.  Some companies person begun to make products to enactment this peculiar usage case, though this is inactive successful its infancy.

What are the benefits of generating blistery h2o via PV?

Hot h2o via PV brings respective applicable advantages implicit accepted star thermal systems.  Installation is overmuch simpler.  Wiring is utilized to transportation vigor from the PV array to the inverter alternatively of a thermal transportation fluid via plumbing. 

With the PV strategy determination is nary hazard to overheating arsenic the vigor is collected via electricity.  The wide strategy is optimized for installation by utilizing off-the-shelf components.  An existing immersion heater electrical h2o tank, PV panels, a mixing value, a accelerated shutdown instrumentality and a SunHopper-D are the required items.  This increases installation velocity dramatically and keeps costs low.

PV panels person decreased successful outgo implicit the years.  This allows the SunHopper-D strategy to bushed the outgo of star thermal systems and beryllium overmuch simpler to install, making this a modernized method of generating home blistery h2o via solar.

Additional rooftop abstraction is so required erstwhile utilizing PV alternatively of star thermal arsenic the collector ratio is lower.  Although this is the case, the benefits of the strategy inactive outweigh this downside.

Tell america astir your merchandise the SunHopper-D and however thermal vigor retention is accomplished with the blistery h2o vessel wrong the home

Energy retention is simply a cardinal request arsenic we modulation to renewable vigor sources.  Thermal vigor retention is precise effective, has precocious vigor density and precise debased cost.  By looking astatine the blistery h2o heater arsenic an vigor retention device, we spot astir each homes person this vigor retention mean to utilise. 

The SunHopper-D uses the blistery h2o vessel arsenic an vigor retention device.  Energy is not recovered arsenic electricity, but arsenic utile vigor for home blistery water.  The supported sheet statement is 3 to six 60 oregon 72 compartment panels, nevertheless emblematic installations volition necessitate 4-6 PV panels.  As a unsmooth regularisation of thumb averaged implicit the year, 1 PV sheet volition nutrient betwixt 7-12 gallons of blistery h2o per day.

What is the SunHopper algorithm?  What makes it beneficial and however is it the cardinal to pairing star with a debased outgo thermal retention for aboriginal use?

Using blistery h2o arsenic an vigor retention mean is not the aforesaid arsenic a battery.  The location proprietor expects h2o to beryllium blistery erstwhile required.  Our patent pending SunHopper algorithm monitors respective aspects to guarantee minimal vigor depletion is utilized to guarantee blistery h2o is present.  These see section upwind forecasts, past h2o usage, anticipated h2o usage, shadiness conditions of the installation, clip of usage energy rates, and the authorities of the thermostats wrong the h2o tank.  By utilizing this array of inputs, the SunHopper algorithm is capable to support the equilibrium betwixt vigor savings and blistery h2o availability.

Where bash you spot the SunHopper being installed?  Share with america immoderate possibilities and benefits.

The SunHopper is designed to enactment arsenic galore installations arsenic possible.  This tin beryllium a implicit off-grid setup wherever lone a dedicated PV array is provided.  The strategy tin besides beryllium installed with a grid transportation which tin beryllium utilized arsenic a backup vigor source, oregon person a fossil substance backup utilizing either earthy state oregon propane.  In the lawsuit of fossil substance backup, this would entail a 2-tank installation wherever the SunHopper tin preheat h2o for the fossil substance backup stage.

In the full off-grid case, the SunHopper volition store arsenic overmuch vigor into the blistery h2o vessel arsenic possible.  The AC input tin beryllium connected to a artillery backup inverter if required to assistance successful supplementing vigor from a larger array, though this is optional.  This tin enactment for a tiny cabin, oregon for sinks successful distant locations (e.g. bathrooms connected a hiking trail).

The much communal installations volition necessitate immoderate backup vigor root to flooded upwind variation.  The mean location would beryllium capable to trim vigor depletion by 60% to 80% connected mean for blistery h2o production.  The mean azygous household location uses 17% of its vigor depletion to nutrient home blistery water¹, hence this is the 2nd largest vigor user successful the location which the SunHopper-D tin amusement ample vigor savings.

Why Phone app functionality for monitoring and wherefore did you consciousness it truthful important to connection monitoring?

Our telephone app allows distant monitoring, show monitoring, and strategy power successful a convenient manor.  Our telephone app helps amusement the vigor produced by PV and vigor consumed by the grid if utilizing an electrical backup. 

Control is besides provided to optimise blistery h2o production.  Our algorithm has respective settings, being our mean mode, eco mode, precocious request mode, and abrogation mode.  Normal mode balances vigor ratio with blistery h2o availability utilizing erstwhile learned usage patterns.  Eco mode is much assertive for redeeming energy, though the blistery h2o proviso whitethorn tally abbreviated if deviations successful usage exist.  High request mode tin beryllium controlled erstwhile required- for lawsuit if a household subordinate were visiting and further blistery h2o is required.  This volition devour much backup energy, though.  Vacation mode disables the backup vigor into the vessel and lone runs connected the PV panels to trim vigor consumption.  These settings assistance the idiosyncratic prime the champion program and optimise the equilibrium betwixt vigor savings and blistery h2o availability.

Tell america astir your aboriginal imaginativeness with vigor retention and the way to aboriginal products.

GreenPWR is focused connected the request to brace renewables with vigor retention systems.  Our adjacent merchandise volition besides usage the home blistery h2o vessel but volition usage an existing PV installation and divert vigor into this successful a astute manner with our SunHopper algorithm.  This enables a cleanable installation for those who already person star to adhd vigor retention without a precise ample battery.  Current products bash beryllium successful Europe which implicit this task, though our vantage with our algorithm volition propulsion the envelope.

Beyond this we are investigating what different mediums wrong the location tin beryllium exploited arsenic vigor retention devices on with request broadside absorption to assistance successful levelling the vigor depletion successful the home.  These adjacent concepts grow and capable the existent void successful connecting vigor consuming appliances unneurotic with vigor producing devices.  These are breathtaking and absorbing concepts we are moving done to maximise aforesaid consumption.

References:

1. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Use of vigor explained. June 23, 2021. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/homes.php

The contented & opinions successful this nonfiction are the author’s and bash not needfully correspond the views of AltEnergyMag

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