Completing My Setup

[NobbyTucker]

I have a PV setup which suffers from a lack of pre-planning, but I am happy at least I have one!
The story is that I was having an extension built on a house and the builder was ready before I was and I was on here last year doing some rapid research!
I have fitted 6 PV integrated panels into the new extension roof and given the small size did not go for it battery but fitted a Solic 200 diverter and a hot water cylinder. My trusty electrician and heating engineer helped out as best as they could, but PV and green doesn't seem their strong points, so want to double check before I spend any more.
The heating engineer has fitted a Hive system to the boiler, but this does not seem to give me much data and it would be good to know the temperature of the hot water in the cylinder. Is there a Hive addon or should I go for something like an Owl sensor/controller?
I'm then wondering how the hot water system will know when and how much gas to use to 'top up' the heat to the tank. Am i missing something?

 

[Murdoch]

The temperature of the water in the hot tank has to heat above 55 degrees and is controlled by the thermostat on the tank

The boiler will top up the tank until the tank stat is satisfied

 

[NobbyTucker]

The temperature of the water in the hot tank has to heat above 55 degrees and is controlled by the thermostat on the tank

The boiler will top up the tank until the tank stat is satisfied

Thanks understood. So at say 6am gas boiler would fire from Hive programmer to heat up the hw cylinder for morning showers. Then presumably set programmer off until after dark when it kicks in again as the PV panels will not be working.
During the day, does the inverter or the Solic then switch to electric immersion heater in the cylinder when the panels are generating enough energy?
Thanks again.

 

[Murdoch]

Thanks understood. So at say 6am gas boiler would fire from Hive programmer to heat up the hw cylinder for morning showers. Then presumably set programmer off until after dark when it kicks in again as the PV panels will not be working.
During the day, does the inverter or the Solic then switch to electric immersion heater in the cylinder when the panels are generating enough energy?
Thanks again.

The Solic will send any excess energy to the immersion - but in the winter you won't get much hot water this way.

Also the Solic product isn't that robust so make sure you register it for the extended warranty.

If you had go the myenergy eddi product you would have had an app showing exactly what is going on in real time

 

[binky]

Thanks understood. So at say 6am gas boiler would fire from Hive programmer to heat up the hw cylinder for morning showers. Then presumably set programmer off until after dark when it kicks in again as the PV panels will not be working.
During the day, does the inverter or the Solic then switch to electric immersion heater in the cylinder when the panels are generating enough energy?
Thanks again.

That's the way to set it up, the Solic will send any spare energy to the immersion during the day. If the tank water is already hot, the thermostat will stop it getting any hotter. You should find the pv gives you all your hot water for about 3/4s if the year - that's what my customers gave reported back to me.