A Wandin North couple have cut their energy bills significantly through new smart solar technology.
Trying to cut energy costs amid a cost of living crisis, Kevin and Nicola Johnson started generating solar energy, but grid limitations meant any extra clean energy they generated would go to waste.
Through Solahart’s Smart Home Energy Project (SHEP), they were able to ensure that extra clean energy would be utilised through a Solahart PowerStore hot water system.
Mr Johnson said the PowerStore was great as it used algorithms to learn when the household used hot water which enabled it to be much more efficient with how it used its energy.
“If you use this much hot water typically, and you’re going to have sun tomorrow, according to weather forecast, the PowerStore won’t do any heating on the grid at all, because there should be enough sun tomorrow to bring it all up for free,” Mr Johnson said.
He explained how the unit draws upon forecast information to predict how much solar will be generated ahead of time, to ensure there’s always enough hot water heated.
“It has an element just up at the top inside the unit, and it heats up enough hot water to keep us going until we can get some more solar.”
SHEP is a part of the Solar Victoria’s Residential Electrification Grants Program (SVREG), which offers eligible Victorian homeowners up to $2400 off smart solar technology and heating solutions.
Mr Johnson said since he’s had the PowerStore installed, he’s “probably spent about five dollars in hot water heating”.
He noted the difference between a solar hot water system and Solahart’s PowerStore hot water system.
“A solar hot water system doesn’t think in advance to work out when you’re going to have solar and look at what water you’ve got. It just says, ‘oh, the sun’s out, I’m going to heat up water’. “
When the sun isn’t out however, and the household doesn’t have any hot water, a solar hot water system will then draw on the grid to heat water – even if the household doesn’t need it.
Solahart eastern ranges dealer principal Mark Baker said the SVREG’s eligibility criteria for the water heater now has expanded to rental properties.
“For the first time, this grant, the water heater portion, covers residential rental properties and for holiday home dwellings.”
“I think that’s quite important, especially for cutting on energy costs, it’s passing on savings, for landlords to pass on to the tenants as well.”
Mr Johnson said he believed most homes will have new smart solar technology like the PowerStore in the future.
“It will ramp up. I honestly believe it will ramp up.”
