A solar diverter is a smart device designed to maximize the self-consumption of renewable energy generated by your solar photovoltaic (PV) system. It ensures that any surplus solar power not immediately used by your household appliances is efficiently directed to other electrical loads within your home, thereby reducing reliance on grid electricity and optimizing energy savings.
Understanding Solar Diverters
As the name suggests, a solar diverter is:
"a device through which any solar power not being used in your home is diverted to an electrical appliance, generally an immersion heater in your hot water and / or an electric heater."
This innovative technology acts as an intelligent switch, monitoring the energy flow in your home. When your solar panels generate more electricity than your immediate household demand, instead of exporting this excess power back to the grid (often for a low feed-in tariff), the solar diverter steps in to redirect it.
A crucial aspect of solar diverters is the type of appliance they can power:
"The load must be resistive."
This means the diverter is specifically designed to work with resistive heating elements, which convert electrical energy directly into heat.
How a Solar Diverter Works
Solar diverters continuously monitor the power being generated by your solar panels and the power being consumed by your home. When they detect an export of electricity (meaning more is being generated than consumed), they incrementally send this surplus power to a designated resistive load. This process is often modulated, sending just enough power to prevent grid export, ensuring efficient use of every watt.
Key Features and Applications
Solar diverters are primarily used to power specific types of appliances. Below is a summary of their core functions and characteristics:
| Feature/Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | To divert any solar power not being used in your home to a designated electrical appliance. |
| Target Appliances | Generally an immersion heater in your hot water cylinder and/or an electric heater. |
| Load Requirement | The electrical appliance receiving the diverted power must be resistive. |
| Benefit | Maximizes the self-consumption of solar energy, reducing grid reliance and energy bills. |
Benefits of Installing a Solar Diverter
Integrating a solar diverter into your solar PV system offers several compelling advantages:
- Maximizing Self-Consumption: It ensures that you use as much of your self-generated solar electricity as possible, rather than exporting it at potentially low rates.
- Reduced Energy Bills: By heating your hot water or contributing to space heating with free solar energy, you significantly cut down on the amount of electricity you purchase from the grid.
- Environmental Impact: It enhances the green credentials of your home by utilizing renewable energy for heating purposes, reducing your carbon footprint.
- Energy Independence: Less reliance on grid electricity for heating contributes to greater energy self-sufficiency.
- Simple Integration: Most solar diverters are designed to be easily integrated with existing solar PV systems and hot water cylinders.
Practical Insights
The most common and effective application for a solar diverter is heating water via an immersion heater. Hot water cylinders act as excellent thermal batteries, storing the solar-generated heat for later use. This means you can often have a tank full of hot water heated entirely by your solar panels, leading to substantial savings on your energy bills. While electric space heaters can also be used, hot water heating is generally prioritized due to its consistent demand and storage capability.
