Heat pumps and photovoltaics – the perfect combination

Making optimum use of solar energy

To maximise the use of solar energy from your own roof, having a modern energy management system is essential. This system controls the various components in the household and ensures that the heat pump, photovoltaic system, battery storage and other devices that consume energy work smoothly with each other. Precise control is particularly important for heat pumps, as being regularly switched on and off can shorten their lifespan.

The technology is here – and installing it pays off

‘The technical aspect of connecting a heat pump, an energy management system and a photovoltaic system is not rocket science,’ explains Toni Maibach, systems consultant for heat pumps and photovoltaics at CTA. However, properly integrating these systems is the key to their success. An experienced system integrator can play a valuable part by ensuring that the components interact optimally with each other. Investing in this expertise pays off in the long run – in the form of both energy savings and a longer working life for the systems.

The right expertise is needed

These systems should be integrated by experts with the requisite know-how. Designers, heating system installers and electrical installation firms specialising in photovoltaics and heat pumps are particularly well-suited to carrying out these tasks. Their expertise is the core foundation for having an efficient and reliable system overall and contributes significantly towards the energy transition.

Good communication is the key

Modern heat pumps are no longer connected via a PV input or one of the widespread SG-ready interfaces, which notify the heat pump when excess energy from the PV system is available. Increasing use is being made of modern network interfaces, which improve the communication between building services and make them easier to control. These interfaces are still manufacturer-specific and need to be programmed individually for each energy management system.

Modern communication interfaces

CTA has created a network interface for your domestic heat pumps. It was developed in collaboration with leading energy management provider Solar Manager. This interface allows heat pumps to be connected and managed via a network cable. The new ‘SmartGridready’ standard should soon make such interfaces a thing of the past. ‘SmartGridready’ (not to be confused with SG-ready) allows communication between energy management systems and the various components in the building without the need to make any adjustments.

Using the potential for optimisation

Unfortunately, energy is not always generated at the same time it is needed. This means that either electrical storage (batteries), thermal storage (domestic hot water or buffer storage tanks) or mass storage (the building) are required during the day in order to be able to use the solar energy from the warm midday hours during the cooler evening or during the night. If, for example, a solidly constructed single-family home is ‘overheated’ by 3°C during the day, up to 60 kWh of thermal energy can be stored in the building. To do this, the energy management system raises the target temperature for the heat pump so that it will run during the sunny afternoon and heat the structure of the building. In return, the heat pump will switch off when the electricity from the PV system is needed during the evening, such as for cooking. This mechanism also works with domestic hot water or buffer storage tanks.