Thanks Badger, so not the tube array and thats going on to do a very good job elsewhere! I was a bit concerned as evacuated solar is part of my larger plan so if you experienced an issue at that end of things it would have changed my decision.
That looks like a brilliant idea - we’re in the process of installing solar panels at the moment (going through the planning permission) - is this diverter unit easy to install or does it need an electrician to do this - and is this something that the solar engineers install is requested? Oh, and roughly whats the cost of this unit?
My divertor works in conjunction with my Elios4you unit and is made by the same company. Can’t remember what pricing was, but a quick Google should find them.
You can also get standalone units such as the one @Badger linked above, although that one seems to be capable of doing much more than just divert excess electricity to the grid. There are many different units like this, so best to do Google for them.
Edit : The Power Reducer SA I have can be used standalone, without the Elios4you, but I think then it can only be overridden using the button on the front rather than through an app.
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Is it possible to install these power reducers / hot water diverters by oneself or do you need to get an electrician or other specialist to install it?
If you are a competent person then there is no regulatory reason why you shouldn’t install one.
Effectively you interrupt the electrical supply to your water heater so it goes via the diverter. You also need to install at least one current sensor (called a CT = Current Transformer) in order to detect a flow of surplus power from your solar PV.
The BIG THING to be aware of is that you need to be running a resistive load i.e. no electronics involved. This means having a water heater with a traditional mechanical thermostat. However, there are workarounds to be able to use ones with an electronic control card.
Do you have any details of this ? I would be very interested in seeing what can be done.
@badger this is what I have.
https://support.enphase.com/s/question/0D52G00004NISesSAH/what-is-a-qrelay-and-when-do-i-need-one
Do you have any details of this ? I would be very interested in seeing what can be done.