PV for hot water

PV power diverterDiverting excess electricity to power your immersion heater is an option for any PV system, including ours. This is done using a special component like an "Immersun" or "Eddie" automatic power diverter. Many companies sell this as a benefit of their systems, however, our view is very different.

Heating water using electricity is very inefficient and a poor use of electricity that WILL cost you money. Instead, we recommend that any excess electricity (that you can't immediately use or store in a battery), is exported to the National Grid, where you will get paid for it. At the time of writing in 2025, this tariff is around 20 cents per kWh.

Then, to heat your water, use your boiler or heat pump where you can heat the water for around 7 - 11 cents per kWh, depending on your system and its efficiency. Therefore, on average, you can heat your water for around half the cost of what it would cost you if you divert your solar electricity to your immersion heater. That on top of the saving you make by NOT investing in the diversion unit in the first place!

 

A diversion unit is not a compulsory item in a solar PV system, rather an optional one and not one that we recommend. But, if our customers want one, we can provide one. 

Contact our dedicated sales team on (098) 42699 or on [email protected] to find out more or fill in our contact form here.