Solar Immersion - my experience !

[danesol]

Update:- Since fitment no export of electricity has occurred, its using every single surplus watt !!!!

 

[Worcester]

You're not generating enough then

 

[danesol]

This is true enough- only been able to get the last 12 Sanyos in the country back in Nov/Dec 2011, however i must say you can only work with what you have Worcester and the wife is alao trained well in the art of using all white goods as much as possible in peak times so it works extremely well for us !

 

[langstroth2]

These look interesting devices - but I'm a bit confused as to how they detect that there's a surplus I thought that a clamp on current detector can't detect direction, so how does the unit "know" that export not import is occurring?

 

[SibertSolar]

Bi-directional CTs do exist....not all monitoring systems use them but some do.

 

[Worcester]

Additionally they monitor voltage and phase angle so can get true power figures. It's simples when you know how..

 

[Steve_rutland]

Just a little question regarding these Immersun devices. If say I have a 3kw immersion with 1kw available, would I be right in thinking the water wouldn't get as hot or, would it just take longer. In my mind, I'm likening it to a sort of dimmer switch with the bulb only glowing rather than burning brightly.

 

[Warlord2001c]

Just a little question regarding these Immersun devices. If say I have a 3kw immersion with 1kw available, would I be right in thinking the water wouldn't get as hot or, would it just take longer. In my mind, I'm likening it to a sort of dimmer switch with the bulb only glowing rather than burning brightly.

It takes longer but our ImmerSuN is giving us a full tank of very hot water pretty much every day. Average day is around midday when it cuts out as the immersion thermostat hits max temp.

Ours was fitted at the start of March and has given a tank of hot water everyday so far except when the snow covered the panels. Two adults one child and enough hot water at night for a bath and showers in the morning before the ImmerSUN starts heating it all up again.

3kw in 1 hour or 1kw for 3 hours still pretty much the same net effect.

cheers

Andy

 

[Steve_rutland]

Thanks Andy. Am looking at a tank with twin immersions ( both 3kw ) and wasn't sure whether to change them for lower wattage or not but that clears it up.

 

[pwboston]

I have a tank with twin 3kw immersions.

The Immersun heats the top element first to basically make sure you have hot water, then moves over to the bottom one and finishes the tank off.

I have found most days if i didnt have a bath today and just used water for washing up and washing etc, it would only need 2-3kw to heat up the following day. 6kw usually does a full tank. If im at home i am finding it hard to resist having my bath a midday and watching it heat it up again

Sad but true...............

 

[danesol]

My wife has now complained !!!!!


Apparently the water is too hot now...... LOL

Its set to 60 as well............. you cant please them all, but I'm well impressed even when we aren't producing at max

 

[danesol]

Additionally they monitor voltage and phase angle so can get true power figures. It's simples when you know how..

Yes it works that well that its now far more accurate than the Eon Envir' energy monitor ( clamp) I have, so the consumption figure is showing not as it should - I think this is due to both the clamp used by the Eon device as well as the way our PV is wired up to the tails using a Henley Block and not via the CU. I'm trying to locate a decent energy monitor now to keep up with the Solar Immersions calculations as the DNO meter definitely stops dead, but the consumption fig on the Eon meter doesnt sometimes equal the power generated by the SMA inverter - hence displaying there is a mis-reading somewhere from how I understand the situation...... hence my PVO export figure displayed is incorrect !

But this isnt any fault of the Solar Immersion device which is spot on, its merely too accurate against the consumption meter I decided to utilise !

Just need to work out now what I can use any further surplus on using the 2nd relay which comes as standard

 

[danesol]

Here's an example of this as well as it clearly displays how the Solar Immersion 'tracks' your energy generation very closely - the only difference like I said is the Eon monitor's inability to be as accurate as the Solar immersion device;

 

[danesol]

Here's another fine example of great tracking by the Solar Immersion ( ignore the difference as the Eon is not reading correctly and infact the meter is totally stopped dead );

What i want the Eon monitor now to register is what the house is using from both the grid & the PV and NOT what I'm pulling from either or, as like above hardly any electric came from the grid that day ( iirc approx 6kwh ) - it merely as I said showed what the house was using !!!

View attachment 18936

 

[Worcester]

For improved monitoring try either the Eco-Eye Products and Online Store or the Elios4You - Sibert - automated equipment manufacturer and supplier of process consumables