VARTA Storage is adding new products related to all aspects of networked home energy systems. Moving forward, the intelligent battery storage systems will communicate with more home and energy technology devices via the VARTA Connect virtual system. Fully-charged batteries in the storage systems will heat water in homes using excess photovoltaic output and the immersion heater from my-PV. In this way, the storage system becomes a power station for the home. The new myGEKKO cross-platform control and automation monitoring system will exchange data and provide greater economic benefits of energy storage.
Intelligent energy management is the solution for those wanting to incorporate their battery storage device into their every-day home energy supply and consumption. Time has proven that it is more economical to use the home-generated energy rather than to feed it back into the grid. For this reason, an increasing number of owners of photovoltaic systems are opting for battery storage systems. When the battery is charged and the PV system continues to produce electricity, the home-generated energy can now be used to charge the Pedelec in the garage or be fed directly into the hot water storage tank via the immersion heater. This way, you can enjoy a hot shower or a ride on your e-bike without having to buy extra electricity.
All VARTA energy storage systems communicate with other measuring and control devices such as PV data loggers, smart grid or smart home applications, and take on the load control of four electricity circuits for external consumers, such as an e-bike or heat pump.
“For installers and the end customer, it is particularly important that the systems used throughout the home can be combined and extended. They have to understand each otherâ€, explains Herbert Schein, CEO of the VARTA Storage/VARTA Microbattery group. With VARTA Connect, the Bavarian manufacturer is therefore offering a system that is compatible with many different applications, and which allows customers to make their own choice. “With VARTA Connect, you don’t have to stick with one manufacturer. We are open for many different application optionsâ€, says Schein.
The VARTA family, VARTA home and VARTA element energy storage series can now be connected to the myGEKKO control and automation system via a new interface. As a result, all energy values such as charging and discharging on a per-day basis, as well as trend records, are easy to view. For example, the output of the PV system can be reduced to an issue level of 50 per cent, as stipulated in the KfW funding regulations. The energy storage device, together with the system, is optimally incorporated into the home control system – together with the shutters, ventilation, light and alarm system.
“Thanks to our partnership with VARTA Storage, our customers can now use the energy in their buildings even more efficiently for comfort and securityâ€, says Hartwig Weidacher, Managing Director of myGEKKO.
If the PV system produces more electricity on the roof than is required by the home, it can be stored in the form of hot water. For this purpose, an immersion heater from my-PV is screwed into the existing boiler. The communication is conducted via the existing home network. The use of PV electricity for providing hot water increases the energy consumption share to almost one hundred per cent. The immersion heater for providing hot water can now also be regulated by the VARTA Storage energy storage devices – with an accuracy level down to just one watt.
All energy storage data such as charge and discharge output and the current charge state is transferred to the data logger via VARTA Connect, e.g. via Solar-Log™ or Meteocontrol. Conversely, the values from the data loggers such as the production output are also transferred to the free VARTA Storage Portal. Thanks to clear graphics and statistics – on a daily, monthly or annual basis – consumption can be optimally controlled or further battery modules can be purchased at a later stage if required.
The VARTA web server visualizes the current electricity flows and the charge state in a simple, clear way, displayed graphically and with images. It supports energy management and energy saving in private homes – effectively and economically. In the online portal, installers and end users have direct access to their system data, which is updated daily. Whether you are at home or out and about, the data can be quickly and easily viewed on your PC or smartphone.
