70 HEATING, VENTILATION & SERVICES
Hybrid inverters are key to increased energy independence for homeowners
D
emand is soaring for solar energy technology as homeowners look to save money on energy bills. Greg Rhymes,
Sales Manager at GoodWe UK discusses how hybrid inverters are the gateway to energy independence, and what installers need to know. Without doubt, one of the most worrying challenges facing the nation right now is the energy crisis. Sky high wholesale prices are driving up costs for consumers, and the energy price cap has risen signifi cantly. To put this into perspective, the price cap
from winter 2021-22 to summer 2022 has jumped by some 54%. In monetary terms, that’s £693 for default tariff s being paid by direct debit (£1,277 to £1,971, with the diff erence rounded up). In the meantime, a very diff erent challenge has hit people up and down the country – namely, the intense, unexpected storms that the UK has experienced since November 2021. Storms Arwen, Dudley, and Eunice have all made notable headlines. The latter brought record-breaking wind speeds of 122mph that ripped up trees, left the O2 Arena’s roof in a state of disrepair, and brought down power lines that disconnected thousands of people from the grid. With these two prevailing challenges seemingly not going away any time soon, how can homeowners safeguard against both energy costs and power outages? A key solution lies in solar power, and more specifi cally, new hybrid inverter technology.
HYBRID INVERTERS ARE THE IDEAL
‘HALFWAY HOUSE’ Hybrid inverters blend two technologies into one. These inverters combine both functions of solar inverters and battery inverters into one unit. Homeowners are already rushing to fi t solar panels and solar power technology – 61,455 UK properties had solar panels installed in 2021, up 71 per cent on 2020, according to Microgeneration Certifi cation Scheme. This
means the time is ripe for installers to consider how hybrid inverters can take consumers one step closer to microgeneration. As solar installers will already know,
most inverters send power to appliances for immediate consumption, or back to the grid if not used. However, the key diff erence between hybrid inverters and standard string inverters is that homeowners can use the former to augment their grid supply, but also later add a battery should they choose to upgrade to a full energy storage solution. For example, GoodWe’s EH Series Hybrid Inverter can be upgraded at any time from purely inverter-only functionality to include a battery storage solution, and all that is needed is an activation code. With smart hybrid inverters like the EH,
homeowners can choose to either immediately consume the energy they generate from their PV (photovoltaic) panels or harvest it and store it in the battery. This then allows for better fl exibility with energy tariff s, and the ability to use the battery’s energy to power appliances during peak times where electricity is sold at a premium. For installers, this is a key development, and as the popularity and awareness of these inverters grow, so too must installers know how to specify and install them. The 3.6-6kW EH in- verter is compatible with high voltage batteries in a range of 85-450V, and it is always recom- mended to analyse homeowners’ usage patterns before specifying the system capacity to prevent over-sizing and ineffi ciency.
A BACK UP TO WEATHER THE STORMS Another key benefi t of hybrid inverters is that if they are connected to a battery, they can continue powering nominated back-up loads or appliances in the event of a power outage. As already alluded to, with the frequent power outages that the UK has experienced and will continue experiencing, the benefi t of this func- tion is clear. People would potentially be able to ride out storms and better manage power outage situations. During installation, it is necessary that install- ers know what appliances should be connected
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as back-up loads. Typically, appliances that use little power should be chosen (e.g., router/mo- dem, lights, television, computers, and fridge/ freezer). More power-intensive appliances (e.g., washing machines, stoves, ovens, and electrical heating) will often exceed the maximum capac- ity that can be connected as backup loads and are therefore not recommended to connect as backup loads. The number of appliances connected as
backup loads will also limit the time they can be sustained during a disconnection from the grid. For instance, if there is a power outage during night-time, the PV panels won’t supply any power and all power will be extracted from the battery. If more loads are connected and used, the battery will of course be drained much faster and thereby reducing the time the backup loads can be powered. In the case of GoodWe’s EH Series, the switch
to battery storage energy would happen in few- er than 10ms meaning that, in a power cut, most people (and most appliances) won’t even notice.
MOVING PEOPLE TOWARDS
MICROGENERATION On top of the spike in energy prices and recent power cuts, there has also been another big change that has signifi cantly altered society arguably forever, and that is the continued ‘work from home’ situation that many people fi nd themselves in. Even though we’re coming out the other side of the pandemic, ‘hybrid’ working is expected to continue, and many offi ces have already been shut down entirely. As a result, people in such situations are likely to see their own energy costs go up, while a power cut could impact on their productivity and ability to earn. For these reasons, microgeneration and moving to energy independence is critical. At GoodWe, our focus is on smart energy
innovation, and so alongside the EH Series, we have a range of residential-use inverters and batteries to achieve this goal.
sales@goodwe.com
en.goodwe.com
30/03/2022 13:21
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