Solar power diverter
A solar power diverter is a way of storing solar electricity
With a solar system you are paid an export tariff, and are paid the export tariff even if you don’t export a single unit of electricity. Therefore, financially it makes sense to use as much of the solar electricity in your home as possible, since it is entirely free.
There are four main types of solar power diverters explained below:
1. Solar immersion controllers
- A sensor detects electricity going back to the grid.
- The solar power diverter then routes this electricity to your immersion heater to heat your hot water.
- If you turn on an appliance in your home, which means you start to buy electricity from the grid, it automatically turns off the immersion heater. In this way, spare free solar energy is used to heat your hot water.
The solar power diverter can control two immersion elements or other devices such as electric towel rails, swimming pool heaters or electric underfloor heating.
2. Solar electric car chargers
These work in a similar way to the solar immersion controllers but instead of diverting energy to your immersion element they divert it to your car.
They charge your car at a different speed based on the amount of solar energy available. If you need your car in a rush, you can override the device to charge from the grid.
3. Solar battery storage
A sensor detects electricity going back to the grid.
The solar power diverter then routes this electricity to your battery.
If you turn on an appliance in your home, which means you start to buy electricity from the grid, it automatically uses energy from your battery to run your home.
4. Solar plug socket diverters
These work in a similar way to the solar immersion controllers but instead of diverting energy to your immersion element they divert it to devices plugged into sockets around the house.
They can often control multiple plugs and learn how much each plug uses. They then turn on devices in priority depending on how much energy is needed.
5. Whole home automation and control
Smart home automation devices can intelligently control almost everything in your home:
Heat pumps
Solar batteries
Electric car charging from solar
All the standard items such as security, lighting, multimedia, windows, blinds, swimming pool, heating, cooling and ventilation.
The most comprehensive system we have found is from Loxone.
Loxone have the experience of installing over 65,000 smart home systems worldwide.
Their car charging system integrates well with the Keba and BMW solutions.