Cool Power - Solar Energy

M

Moffo

Registered User
Messages
28
Just wondering if anyone has had any dealings with Cool Power http://www.coolpower.ie/. They seem to be saying that using their PV Solar Panels, you can generate Electricity to power your home, not just your Hot Water, and any surplus can be directed to the National Grid. Sounds revolutionary and there are no costs stated. Is there anyone out there who has installed this ?
 
I think there's a clue in the competition to win "a voucher for €3650.25 worth of Solar PV"...
Leo
 
That's how the technology works, but there is currently no facility in Ireland for selling the surplus to the national grid. Also, PV solar panels aren't eligible for SEI grants at the moment.
 
TheBear said:
That's how the technology works, but there is currently no facility in Ireland for selling the surplus to the national grid.
Click to expand...
Are you sure? About 20 years ago I worked for a company specializing in heat pumps, wind convectors, small plastic hydroelectric turbine kits etc. and some of the installations involved exporting surplus to the national grid if I recall correctly.
 
ClubMan said:
Are you sure? About 20 years ago I worked for a company specializing in heat pumps, wind convectors, small plastic hydroelectric turbine kits etc. and some of the installations involved exporting surplus to the national grid if I recall correctly.
Click to expand...


You can connect your home generating kit to the grid but they won't pay you for any surplus. Have to wait for smart metering.
 
Hi

I work in Cool Power. To clarify some points:

Any grid-connected solar electricity (PV) system, or other micro generator (wind turbine etc.) will, at times, produce more electricity than you are using. This could be, for instance, on a sunny/windy day when you are not at home, or not using much electricity. Traditionally, this surplus electricity would 'leak' out to the grid, and, in Ireland, you wouldn't get paid for it.

In response, Cool Power developed a device called EMMA (Energy and Micro-generator Manager) that detects this surplus electricity and diverts it to uses in your home or business, rather than letting it be 'lost' to the grid. Such uses include 'energy stores' such as hot water, underfloor heating, storage heaters and so on. You then don't need to run these systems off grid electricity later on, hence you get full use of the electricity produced by your micro-generator and you reduce your electricity bills.

> Grants
There are a number of grants available for projects that involve solar PV:
http://www.coolpower.ie/benefits/grants.html

> Selling the surplus
Ireland's REFIT (Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff) pilot scheme provides some payment for exported electricity, in limited cases:
[broken link removed]

However, allowing x units of your locally-produced surplus electricity to leak to the grid, only to reimport x units of grid electricity later in the day has disadvantages. You are paid less to export a unit than you pay to import a unit. Also, energy losses occur during the “double handling” of export and import. Overall, unnecessary import/export of electricity is inefficient, uneconomic and emissions unfriendly. The device I mentioned above, EMMA, addresses this, and makes the use of renewable energy in Ireland even more economical and attractive.

>Is there anyone out there who has installed this?
Solar electricity (PV) is becoming increasingly popular for home owners and businesses in Ireland - to reduce energy bills, emissions, improve BER, meet Part L of the new building regulations (renewable energy requirements) etc. There's a case study section on our website showing some domestic and commercial installations.
http://www.coolpower.ie/casestudies/index.html

Josephine
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register