Solar Immersion - my experience !

[danesol]

Hi everyone,
I've been following this thread with interest as I intend to install a solar immersion (or similar) in the next few weeks. So, just a few questions:-
1. is Solar Immersion a good one to get, or are there better/more reliable ones around now (and if so - how much?)
2. is the discount coupon still valid with the reduced price if £229, or am I just being cheeky here?
3. about how long does it take to install the Solar Immersion?
4. what do people connect as a secondary device - I was thinking perhaps a storage radiator in the hallway for background heating in winter, but I wouldn't need that in summer when there's likely to be a greater surplus. Any suggestions?

I appreciate there are a lot of questions here, but any snippets of information members may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated (i.e. I'm not expecting full answers to every question - just whatever you can offer)

K

In answer to above from my prospective;

1. Yes, its a good no frills one, which is working a treat so far but to be fair these types of devices are new to the market in real terms, so it wont be known for a few years how long these devices will last..... watch this space

2. Yes

3. Depends how quick you are :biggrin: but the main time I spent was pulling the cat5 cable through the loft and down the gable end to the DNO meter outside to extend the CT sensor, which has to be on the DNO tails. Wireless CTs would be advantageous, but I would be worried about battery life and wifi/rf reliability ? As I was recently informing someone recently I installed my unit actually in the airing cupboard, so wiring was a doddle, using the existing switched spur and cable to the actual element , which saves messing inside the CU, naturally some may find the reverse better for them.

4. I dont at the moment and I doubt I will as we use the majority of the surplus through home automation and the Solar Immersion, however if we had a larger PV system ( 4Kw ) or didnt use the surplus through the day - I would be looking at this more closely at this, whether that be a storage heater or towel rail. However, it would depend on what you have already in your setting which could be included IMO as buying additional hardware could defeat the financial object but still help your "green" positioning.

 

[solar warrrior]

Contact, I have a home built unit so can’t comment directly but a friend of mine has an Intelligent Immersion i2 and it performs very well with tiny or even zero export, and compared with the Solar Immersion is cheaper, better made, has a 3 year warrantee and a longer track record of reliable operation. Does not have a LCD display but as reported here these displays can give trouble.

Worcester I agree that many energy monitors have poor accuracy. To be fair to them they were not designed to measure the complex waveforms that these types of diverter devices produce. Like you I find the EcoEye Smart PV good but even this is tens of watts out on the grid value, as is my much more expensive Locus system. Only a Fluke wattmeter agrees with my wheel meter.

Danesol, when you say the export is zero, is it really or have you got a wheel style meter that has hit its antireverse stop? On a digital utility meter an export/import of tens of watts takes so long to clock up one pulse/digit change that is can seem more stationary than it really is.

Concerned about the apparent lack of an EMC filter in the Solar Immersion photos above or is it hidden under the LCD? When I asked Solar Immersion about EMC compliance they were pretty vague, just saying it was compliant without stating how and what standard it was tested against. A standard trick is claiming compliance but not mentioning it’s only to the esier to meet industrial EMC standards. Burst Fire units like the Immersun do not need much in the way of a filter but it has light flicker problems. A phase control unit like the Solar Immersion needs a good filter.

 

[lydart]

I installed my Solar Immersion back in March and I have been heating all my hot water by this means since the end of April. My plan was always to hook up a secondary load and last week I added 3 x 300w towel elements and so far they are performing well.

 

[Worcester]

See this post: http://www.electriciansforums.net/p...do-immersun-type-devices-work.html#post597821 for a similar idea
and here for a list of possible heaters and example installations: http://www.electriciansforums.net/p...y-forum/44408-1kw-immersion-2.html#post648755

 

[danesol]

snip................

Danesol, when you say the export is zero, is it really or have you got a wheel style meter that has hit its antireverse stop? On a digital utility meter an export/import of tens of watts takes so long to clock up one pulse/digit change that is can seem more stationary than it really is.

Its a 15yr old old style DNO meter and YES it stops dead when there is an equilibrium or if the grid voltage is <= 235vAC it can be seen going backwards on occasion if generation is greater than demand ..............

 

[solar warrrior]

Its a 15yr old old style DNO meter and YES it stops dead when there is an equilibrium or if the grid voltage is <= 235vAC it can be seen going backwards on occasion if generation is greater than demand ..............

That is more like what I experience on my home built unit. Sometimes stopped and sometimes going slowly backwards i.e. exporting say 30W. I doubt anyone will be ever able to achieve completely stopped all the time as varying house power factors and calibration errors make it impossible unless they are using instrument grade measurements of power which these devices can’t do at this price.

 

[danesol]

I've managed to organise a discount code for forum members for these units !!!

So if you are going to order one in the foreseeable future - please use the following code on checkout;

dis2204





SolarImmersion - Surplus Solar Energy Water Heater |

This discount code is still valid I believe !!

 

[sparkybob1]

I also have come fowl of the customer services at solar immersion. I have a faulty unit that I haven't returned yet as I got sick of being passed between technical, returns and sales department. As for the ticket process, needs some improvements

 

[danesol]

I also have come fowl of the customer services at solar immersion. I have a faulty unit that I haven't returned yet as I got sick of being passed between technical, returns and sales department. As for the ticket process, needs some improvements

Whats the problem you have ??

 

[Mulgrave]

Im still trying to get my faulty unit swapped, such a shame a great product is marred by poor customer service.

I agree, purchased mark II last year and never worked, the support is non-existent , they just ignore any message sent to them. Poor customer service.
i would not buy anything else from them, cannot be trusted.

 

[danesol]

I agree, purchased mark II last year and never worked, the support is non-existent , they just ignore any message sent to them. Poor customer service.
i would not buy anything else from them, cannot be trusted.

Well quiet a few of us have purchased the MKIII units from them recently and no real reported issues as such ??

 

[hophead]

Their customer services is very poorly organised for a "new" company. Eats a lot of my time. I'm awaiting a replacement MkIII which just stopped heating water.

 

[Mulgrave]

Thanks dansol for your comments, however, the mark II never worked for me and their support was inexistent. They have just introduced ticket system for the mark iiii and they ditched any support for mark II. They will probably do the same in the future for mark iii.

Regards

 

[danesol]

Update:- Just had June's gas & electric bill

We have more or less turned the gas boiler completely off now and it only comes on for HW when Solar has been poor for the odd day and only preheats the HWC, other than that, gas is only used for the gas hob for cooking and boiling the kettle which this month came to a grand total of;

6units = 189kwhrs @ 3.45p plus SC ( 30days at 22p ) = £ 13.12

So all in all, the benefit, a good though small saving in monetary terms ( -£8.00 p/mth ) but mostly down I think to the installation of the Solar Immersion unit. Last year, EDF state we used 410kwh of GAS, and the gas was used for same purpose plus HW heating last year - no central heating on.

 

[danesol]

So all in all, after only a few mths of using one of these units I would strongly suggest that you would be foolish NOT to fit one of these devices with a good renewable energy system ( not just PV ) , especially if no-one is at home using the electric during the day, it doesnt have to be a Solar Immersion unit as you have plenty of selection now at different price levels, but I can say the Solar Immersion has worked for me so far !

 

[bugsyuk]

I must admit i will not be purchasing any more of these solarimmersion controllers. We have brought only 2 of these from this company for installs and while there is nothing wrong with the product there customer service is non existant. I have emailed them 4 times in 2 weeks and tried to ring customer services for an hour the other day to only keep getting cut off. It seems to me they are a one man band.

 

[danesol]

I must admit i will not be purchasing any more of these solarimmersion controllers. We have brought only 2 of these from this company for installs and while there is nothing wrong with the product there customer service is non existant. I have emailed them 4 times in 2 weeks and tried to ring customer services for an hour the other day to only keep getting cut off. It seems to me they are a one man band.

I've never had an issue getting hold of them ??

However, you could call or chat online now as they are definitely ONLINE now - SolarImmersion - Surplus Solar Energy Water Heater |

 

[thushar]

SolarImmersion (http://solarimmersion.co.uk) is having a special offer now - Price is only £199 (was £249) !! may be the best time to buy it http://solarimmersion.co.uk

 

[solar warrrior]

If you want good customer service and a very reliable unit I hear the Intellgent Immersion is good. In 2 years none have ever failed they say.

 

[danesol]

Update:- July's utility bill is in and I'm impressed !!!

Electric used ( imported) in July - 284kwh

Gas used in July - 94kwh

So against last year same period, that's a fall from 420kwh & 283kwh respectfully for both.............. in monetary terms its not a great deal ( a saving of £ 10.92 for elec and £ 5.52 for gas ) but as Asda say - every little bit helps.........

I can only put this down to better weather this year and the use of the Solar Immersion !!