Are you looking to get the most out of your solar panels? If you find that your PV panels are generating more electricity than you currently use, a solar immersion controller could be just what you need. These handy gadgets divert excess electricity to your boiler to heat your water.
Solar iBoost+, widely considered the best solar immersion controller on the market. We will be talking you through how it works and its cost saving benefits.
What is the Solar iBoost+ and how does it work?
If you already have solar panels installed, you’ll likely know how they harness solar energy and convert it into electricity to help power your home or business (or your boat or caravan). But what happens when you don’t manage to use up all the electricity your solar panels produce? You could consider installing a battery storage system to store that excess power for a rainy day or it can go to the National Grid.
Alternatively, a PV immersion controller, like the Solar iBoost+, can simply divert excess energy to your hot water tank, allowing you to heat your water and make the most of your solar power. To get the best of both worlds, you could even install the Solar iBoost+ alongside a battery storage system.
How does the Solar iBoost+ work?
When you install the Solar iBoost+, your solar panels continue to work as usual. They will absorb the sun’s rays, convert them to direct current (DC) electricity, and then send that power to an inverter which transforms the DC into alternating current (AC).
The Solar iBoost+ features two key components to divert the energy your panels have produced to your hot water system.
- Firstly, there’s the ‘sender’. This is an energy monitoring system attached to the cable at your electricity meter. The sender monitors how much of your energy is being exported to the grid.
- The sender transfers that information to the second part of your system — the Solar iBoost+ solar immersion controller. This is installed next to the hot water tank and intelligently controls the level of energy flowing to your immersion heater, inline with your export levels.
If you have battery storage, you can raise the cut-in threshold so that some of the energy is diverted to your battery as a priority, once fully charged the Solar iBoost+ will then start to heat your water for the rest of the day just using your excess from your solar.
You can learn more about this in our FAQs.
You can set the Solar iBoost+ to also heat your water at set times — for example, for your morning shower or after dinner to help with washing up.
The Solar iBoost+ Buddy
Alongside the Solar iBoost+, you can also opt for the Solar iBoost Buddy. This additional tool allows you to track and manage your household’s electricity usage in real time, monitoring your Solar iBoost+savings and also heat the tank if ever required.
Take a look at our specifications page for more details on the Solar iBoost+ and Buddy. If you ever have any issues with your Solar iBoost+, you can find support on our troubleshooting page.
Solar iBoost+ benefits
So, why should you consider a solar immersion controller?
- Lower water heating costs – One of the main advantages of pairing your solar panels with the Solar iBoost+ is that it can reduce the amount of money you spend on heating water at home. Because you’re already generating free solar energy, you can heat your hot water tank at no additional charge.After the initial installation cost (usually around £350 – £500), you can start saving on your hot water bills immediately. You can track how much energy you’ve saved on the device screen, too — it’ll show you your savings in the past 24 hours, the previous day, the past week, the past 28 days, and in total.
- Reduce boiler usage – By transferring energy straight from your solar panels to your hot water tank there’s less need to use your boiler. As well as reducing costs, this makes heating water a smooth and streamlined process.
- Maximising solar energy use – By harnessing the solar power your panels generate effectively, the Solar iBoost+ helps you get the most out of them. It’s an easy way to self consume your own generated energy.
- Environmental benefits – Using more of the green energy you’re already producing through your solar panels decreases your reliance on non-renewable sources, such as gas and oil. This focus on renewable power helps lower your carbon footprint and contributes to more sustainable living.
Is the Solar iBoost+ compatible with all solar panels?
The good news is that the Solar iBoost+ is designed to work with most residential PV systems. It connects to your existing electricity meter and water cylinder and there’s no strict limit on the size of the solar PV system it can handle, making it suitable for typical residential installations.
Maximise your solar power with Marlec Engineering
The team at Marlec Engineering has the experience and knowledge to help you get the most out of your solar panels. Our innovative Solar iBoost+ system can reduce energy wastage and lower your energy bills.
Remember, it’s important to always seek professional solar panel and Solar iBoost+ installation. Find your nearest Solar iBoost+ stockist and installer, and feel free to contact us for product support.