Water heating with solar panels without batteries

Heating water has always been a problem in homes. During the winter, when we heat the house with coal or other fuel, it is possible to heat the water from the building's heating system. But, in summer, there are only the 230V mains power supply and traditional glycol system solar collectors.

Fortunately, AZO Digital has recently introduced an innovative inverter that makes it possible to use solar panels to heat water. The system no longer requires the installation of expensive gel batteries or controllers. It is now possible to connect a traditional boiler with a thermostat, underfloor heater, and other resistance devices without electronics, to the solar system.

How solar water heating works.

Seven or eight solar panels connected in series offer a constant voltage of about 230-280V depending on the model used. The energy is transferred through the solar wires directly to the voltage converter, which converts it into an alternating voltage similar to that found in an electrical socket.

A boiler, or other resistance device such as an underfloor heater, is connected directly to the inverter. The energy is transferred directly from the solar panels to the receiver without the use of batteries. This solution eliminates the need to replace expensive batteries and the entire system can work for up to 25 years without any failure. It should be noted that the voltage converter generates square voltage and is not intended to power electronic and electrical devices, but only resistance devices such as heaters or driers.

Solar collectors and solar panels: the differences.

Traditional solar collectors heat the water by means of a heat exchange, through glycol, between the installed tubular collectors and the heater installed in the boiler. The system itself must be supplied with electricity in order to drive the circulation pump, which guarantees the circulation of glycol in the solar installation. The 230V power supply itself should also be protected against power outages (e.g., with a UPS system), because in the event of a power failure and the resulting stoppage of glycol circulation in the installation, the solution may boil, and the solar collector may be destroyed.

The situation is completely different when heating water with solar panels. We don't need any power or glycol. We don't have to worry about overheating the water with excess heat on sunny days. When a sufficient temperature is reached, the system will simply disconnect and wait for the next restart when there is a new demand for energy. The solar water heating system is completely maintenance-free and does not require any security. Unlike solar collectors, it also works in winter. Its level of complexity is much lower compared to traditional heating installations. Finally, unlike with traditional solar collectors, we can be sure that nothing will leak from a solar panel.

What kinds of receivers, other than boilers, can be connected to solar panels?

All kinds of resistance devices without electronics can be connected to solar panels. These include boilers with a thermostat, underfloor heaters without digital control, small heaters, oil heaters, hair dryers and other similar devices. Do not connect electronic devices such as TVs, computers, refrigerators, washing machines or any other devices that have an electronic control.

Is it possible to install the water heating system yourself?

The installation of a water heating system with solar panels does not need to be done by an installer and can be done on your own. The biggest problem may be installing solar panels on the roof. However, if we have overcome this challenge, we only have to connect two wires from the panels and plug a boiler or other heating device into the voltage converter.

We offer a wide selection of mounting systems for any type of roof. Both for sloping and flat roofs, and for various types of roofing materials: metal tile, trapezoidal sheet, plain tile, concrete and ceramic tile, shingle, felt and many others. It is also worth mentioning that the installation does not require a RES installer license or the notification of the energy company. Installation is self-contained and can be done by anyone.

System durability.

The system is designed to last for 25 years. After 25 years, the system should still offer 80% of the minimum power. If not subjected to extreme weather conditions, like heavy hail, which may damage the panels, our installation should operate for many years without any maintenance.