Hi all, I hope someone can give insight into best way to heat hot water.
Almost 4 year old 6.24 kW solar system (16 Trina panels and Sungrow 5 kW inverter) and had Fox 42kWh battery with 10 kW inverter (KH10) installed last week. System is operating well.
Average over 12 months, BEFORE INSTALL OF BATTERY
Total power used 18 kWh/day
Solar production 25
My use of solar produced 5
Feed into grid 20
Purchase from grid 13
6 kWh of the 13 kWh purchased from grid is Control Load 1. The Hot Water system is Dux 315 litre dual element.
Bottom element is on Control Load 1 (active from about 10 PM to about 7 AM) at about 18C/kWh. and top element heats about 50 litres of water, when temp drops. I think the top element does not operate often and we have never run out of hot water. We are on Time of Use (TOU) metering and average cost of electricity we use is about 35C/kWh. Feed In is about 5C/KwH. Ausgrid in Sydney, with Origin as retailer.
After install of battery daily purchase from grid is about 6kWh, so I think it is mostly Control Load 1 bottom element of hot water system. Suggestions on how to run hot water system from battery welcome.
What if electrician moves the wires from the top element to the bottom element and fits a timer, (ideally one I can change times on) and sets it to operate at off peak time. My understanding is there will then be zero Control Load 1 usage and bottom element will draw from battery first and if battery has insufficient charge, power will come from grid (Off Peak, currently about 21C/kWh).
Or maybe do the above and also connect the top element and have it draw firstly from solar, secondly from battery and thirdly from grid (Would operate 24h/day at whatever tariff is applicable at the time, namely Peak, Off Peak or Shoulder). I assume this would be only a small consumption, so small cost even at Peak rate. Some websites say the 'turbulence' caused by second element is beneficial (longer tank life, longer element life, more even water temperature and better control of Legionnaires disease)
Will Ausgrid/Origin be aware of this? object? fine me?
Electrician that installed battery did not know about Control Load 1 and was not helpful. Reluctant to ask Ausgrid/Origin or other, as not sure they will know what to do.
My first post and a long one. Apologies.