Hot water powered by your own solar energy
POWER TO HEAT – The majority of energy costs in a private household are attributable to water heating and space heating. That is why the conversion of electricity into heat (power-to-heat) plays a key role in the SMARTFOX concept.
In addition to powering various devices such as heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations, infrared heaters, storage systems, and much more, surplus photovoltaic energy is ideal for powering electric heating elements used for hot water production.
Due to its high efficiency, there is virtually no energy loss in the hot water tank (1 kWh of solar power in the heating element = 1 kWh of heat (100% efficiency)).
Stepless control
The intelligent SMARTFOX Pro Energy Manager controls one or more heating elements continuously (0–100%). This ensures that the available energy is utilized precisely and is not fed back into the power grid at a loss. The advantage: A continuously adjustable heating element activates even when the excess power is lower than its total output. As a result, all excess energy is used for heat production.
By continuously monitoring production and consumption, the SMARTFOX Energy Manager determines the optimal time to turn on the water heater based on PV production, so that hot water is generated when there is a surplus. If there is not enough PV surplus available, SMARTFOX uses energy from the battery (if available) or draws it from the grid during off-peak hours.
The benefits of the SMARTFOX Pro Energy Manager
- Lower heating costs & a self-sufficient hot water supply! From April through October, the conventional heating system can usually be turned off completely.
- Extending the "lifespan" of the heating system
- Easy to retrofit & low maintenance
- Advantage over solar thermal systems: Lower purchase and maintenance costs, as there is no need for pipes, pumps, or heat exchangers.
- Significant reduction in operating costs: cost savings of approximately 40% per year
- Increase self-consumption – By using solar energy for hot water, you can increase your self-consumption from about 30% to around 80% (for a 4-person household using 260 liters of hot water per day).
- Increase your independence from external providers and rising energy prices
♻︎ Climate-friendly: Using renewable energy is good for the environment, since a PV system generates 10 times more energy than was needed to manufacture it!
Integrated boiler-buffer switching
For small to medium-sized PV systems where it is not possible to operate multiple heating elements in parallel, the boiler-buffer switch is ideal for producing additional hot water.
In our example, the excess heat is fed into the boiler until the setpoint temperature—for example, 60°C—is reached. The system then automatically switches to the second heating element, which serves, for example, as a backup heat source for the buffer tank.
Another highlight is the smart hygiene feature. This heats the boiler to at least 60°C at customizable intervals, thereby preventing the growth of harmful Legionella bacteria.
Thanks to the various SMARTFOX interfaces (4 freely configurable relays, RS485 interface, analog output, and LAN interface), the hot water system can be customized to meet your specific needs. This provides additional flexibility when implementing complex systems (additional heating elements, circulation pumps, and much more).
Hot water even in bad weather?
SMARTFOX ensures a steady supply of hot water even in bad weather.
If the weather isn't cooperating and there isn't enough surplus solar power, the SMARTFOX system can use its built-in, customizable weekly timers to heat the hot water automatically at night, when the lower nighttime/heating rate is in effect.
Our optional SMARTFOX temperature sensor is the perfect addition here. It automatically maintains the minimum temperature set in the system. This ensures that you can take a warm shower in the morning while still leaving enough capacity in the boiler to heat water again in the morning using “free” solar power.
Which devices are compatible?
With SMARTFOX, you can control and monitor a wide range of devices from a single platform. You can find an up-to-date list of compatible devices in our download section.
SMARTFOX PRO HEATER 6K
The all-in-one solution for hot water heating, available in various capacity classes.
SMARTFOX SCREW-IN HEATING ELEMENT
3 kW, 4.5 kW, 6 kW, and 9 kW. Includes thermostat switch and safety thermostat.
SMARTFOX Booster Light 9K
The game-changer for hot water heating.