The rise of solar PV in the UK and utilising it for your hot water
The number of homes installing solar PV in the UK has reached an all-time high, marking a significant milestone in the country’s transition towards renewable energy. Industry figures show more than 50,000 installs from January to March alone, adding to more than 1.2 million registered installations across the UK.
The surge in solar PV installations is good news for the environment, homeowners, and businesses. Several factors and benefits have contributed to this rapid increase, from government incentives to falling installation costs.
Solar benefits
- Installing solar PV can significantly reduce energy bills, with some homeowners reporting savings of up to 50%. The Energy Saving Trust’s solar energy calculator will give you an estimate of how much you could save.
- Larger solar PV installations often see a financial return to the homeowner with the availability of export tariffs which earn you money for the energy you export back to the grid.
- Solar PV is also an attractive feature for property buyers, with studies showing that homes with solar panels can sell for up to 4.1% more than those without.
- By investing in solar PV, we can reduce our carbon footprint and create a brighter future for generations to come.
How does Mixergy fit in?
Mixergy technology can help homeowners harness the power of solar PV even further.
By connecting a Mixergy smart hot water cylinder to a solar PV system, hot water bills can be reduced by up to 50%* (*based on a typical 4kW system).
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said solar power is “a key part of our plans to power up Britain, helping to deliver cheaper, cleaner and more secure homegrown energy“.
Our technology has been accredited by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and as solar PV installations continue to soar in the UK, connecting the two systems is a great way for homeowners to not only save money on energy bills but also reduce their carbon footprint – what’s not to love?
“Mixergy is so much more effective than our old tank. Our running costs have been as low as £35 a year and with solar, it just works perfectly”
Antony, Homeowner with Mixergy cylinder
Antony is a homeowner with an existing Mixergy hot water cylinder in his home. The savings speak for themselves with him seeing his hot water costing around £35 per year and it’s a seamless integration with his 4kW array of solar PV, which forms part of his project to transition away from using gas within his home.
Check out the video of Antony’s story on the Fully Charged Everything Electric YouTube channel here. Or use view the video below.
Mixergy hot water cylinders can either come with a pre-mounted Mixergy Solar PV Diverter which is pre-wired to the cylinder from the factory, or they can have an optional Mixergy PV Switch connected (either from the point of installation or retrofitted later) which can connect to a third-party solar diverter (for example, Myenergi Eddi, a Solar iBoost etc.).
All Mixergy cylinders have a 3kW immersion located at the top of the cylinder. When this immersion is connected to a solar PV diverter, this immersion receives excess solar energy that the home isn’t consuming. The amount of energy that is available for Mixergy to use, can vary considerably and change very quickly as the diverter responds to light conditions outside and domestic energy usage in real-time. For example, your Mixergy could be receiving 100W of energy one moment, then 1.7kW a few moments later.
The Mixergy cylinder takes this solar energy and dumps it into the hot portion of the cylinder, converting any excess energy into more hot water. The smart controls then monitor the temperature at the top of the cylinder and inject a steady flow of cool water to expand the hot layer, for example, 10% to 11%, then 12% and so on, until there is no more solar energy available for the cylinder to use. This ensures that the cylinder uses as much free solar energy as possible!
In effect, this converts your Mixergy cylinder into a super low-cost battery, ensuring you make the most of the solar PV your home system generates.
For full details on how to choose which is the best Mixergy solution for you, see our homeowner guide.. You can either use your own plumber to install a Mixergy cylinder for you or search for one of our Approved Installers in our network.
