PV to HW cylinder - have I got the kit already?

Estwing

I've been looking at the thread below about using excess generation to heat up the hot water cylinder, and I'm not sure if I've have already got the kit to do it or not?

I've discovered that the sunny boy 3600tl inverter I have has a multi function relay, and after looking on several forums this may negate the need to fork out for a immersun-type bit of kit, but I'm not sure?

As I understand it, all I need is a contactor from the sunny boy going to the immersion heater breaker - can someone confirm this please?

Will a good spark know how to do this or will it best be from an SMA accredited installer or suchlike?

Thanks in advance :T

Dave_Fowler

Estwing wrote: »

I've been looking at the thread below about using excess generation to heat up the hot water cylinder, and I'm not sure if I've have already got the kit to do it or not?

I've discovered that the sunny boy 3600tl inverter I have has a multi function relay, and after looking on several forums this may negate the need to fork out for a immersun-type bit of kit, but I'm not sure?

As I understand it, all I need is a contactor from the sunny boy going to the immersion heater breaker - can someone confirm this please?

Will a good spark know how to do this or will it best be from an SMA accredited installer or suchlike?

Thanks in advance :T

The relay in the inverter can not be made to work in the same way as the Immersun units.

The relay is an 'all-or-nothing' type device. It will either drive the immersion heater at full power or send no power at all. On the other hand, the Immersun will send any spare power available to the immersion heater.

If you have a 3kW immersion heater and the relay turns on when you are generating say 2kW surplus power, you would be importing 1kW. Otherwise, if the relay is off you would export the 2kW.

The Immersun will check what power you are actually exporting and send only that surplus power to the immersion - be it 100W or 3kW. You would not import any power whilst you are sending power to the immersion heater.

Dave F

Estwing

Thanks for clarifying, I've got a hw cylinder with the option of putting in an immersion from the top.

I've read somewhere that the length should be about 200mm from the bottom so it looks like it'll be a 27" one, but not sure what's best; 1kw, 1.5kw or 2kw. Think I'm leaning towards 1.5kw