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Netherlands-based One Solution says its new FlexTherm Eco battery can be used in combination with rooftop PV systems and residential PV thermal installations. It consists of a thermal charging station that converts energy directly into heat and stores it for hot water supply.
One Solution Holland BV, a Dutch specialist in heating technology, presented its FlexTherm Eco thermal battery at the recent Solar Solutions trade fair in Amsterdam.
“The battery is particularly suitable to be combined with a rooftop PV system or with a PV-thermal residential installation,” explained Kaz Collé, sales engineer at One Solution Holland, to pv magazine, noting that it requires very little maintenance, as it does not require it has moving parts. “The general advantage of our battery is its small volume and low thermal loss. In addition, it is respectful with the environment, since it does not use toxic materials and is totally recyclable.”
The manufacturer describes the device as a thermal charging station that converts energy directly into heat and stores it to supply hot water.
“It is a very efficient device with an A+ energy label,” said Collé, noting that the battery uses an inorganic salt as phase change material (PCM). PCMs are capable of absorbing, storing and releasing large amounts of latent heat in a defined temperature range and have often been used, at the research level, for cooling photovoltaic modules.
The FlexTherm Eco battery is available in three versions with storage capacities of 3.5 kWh, 7.0 kWh and 10.5 kW.
“The 7.0 kWh device can supply 12.5 liters of hot water per minute,” explains Collé.
The smallest battery measures 360mm x 570mm x 445mm and weighs 70kg. The largest device has dimensions of 360 mm x 570 mm x 880 mm and a weight of 170 kg. All products have a minimum working pressure of 1.0 bar and a discharge water temperature ranging between 50ºC and 55ºC.
One Solution Holland estimates the heat loss per hour between 18.7 W and 30.7 W, depending on the size of the system. He claims that the battery has already been used in multiple projects with photovoltaics.
“The total storage capacity of these projects in the Netherlands is currently 13.65 MW,” Collé said, noting that the company offers a five-year guarantee. |
