A solar water heater created by Belgian firm Wanit is said to cut the cost of domestic hot water by
85%. The primary dual tank for the PV water heater is connected to a rooftop PV system and a home
battery by a solar connection.
According to Wanit, the solar connection uses maximal power point tracking to guarantee that the
maximum output from the solar array is always captured.
Wanit’s founder, Christian Bayet, the company’s founder, states that “According to the power
demand, the connector converts the electricity to the right voltage with no loss and conveys it to the
main boiler, the satellite boiler, or the batteries.”
The heater can be installed either vertically or horizontally and comes in four versions: 65-liter water
heater for off-grid applications, an 80-liter device for off-grid applications, and two on-grid heaters
with capacities of 65 liters and 80 liters. The smallest water heater measures 1,066 mm x 275 mm x
506 mm and weighs in at 28.4 kg while the largest measures 1,251 mm x 275 mm x 506 mm and
weighs 32.3 kg.
This variety in models creates options to suit whichever household size, the space available, and the
number of panels that can be placed. According to Bayet, “The main difference between the two
models, the DC (off-grid) and the Hybrid, is that the second has two additional heating rods that are
connected to the grid at 230 V.”
For those who opt to add the system to their heating system, the DC model is best, says Bayet. He
explains that “The hybrid model is a compact boiler where everything is integrated. When the free
heated water reserve is exhausted, the boiler can heat, according to different programs, all or part
of the tanks and thus ensure to cover the need for hot water at any time, while maintaining all the
capacity to store the free energy production of the panels”
All devices rely on two dry heating rods and IP22-rated protection, and the system heat storage
capacity ranges from 5.9 kWh to 7.2 kWh. Additionally, each of them has 1,300 W of DC power.
The solar connector operates with a maximum input current of 20 A, a minimum PV voltage of 60 V,
and a maximum system voltage of 200 V. It has a 97.5% efficiency and can be linked to up to 1,700
W using four solar modules. The charging voltage is regulated to room temperature by an
internal sensor.
The cost, with installation fees included, for the SolarConnector, the 80-liter Hybrid boiler, and four
PV panels is about €4,000 ($4,230).
Wanit has operations in Brussels and Tournai, Belgium, and serves zones located up to 100 km
around the two cities. The company plan to expand to other cities and make its products available
anywhere in Europe and worldwide. “We are working every day to improve our producing capacity
in order to meet the demand” stated Bayet.
Photovoltaic sanitary water heater from Belgium – pv magazine International (pv-magazine.com)
