Solar iboost

[Stan]

I need something clarifying. Devices such as the Marlec solar iboost detect when you are exporting more than 100 watts to the grid and can divert your excess production to the hot water tank. My immersion heater is rated at 2/2.85kW.
Does the device somehow send only your excess solar watts to the tank or must it be the full 2.85kW.

[Tinbum]

Only the excess.

[Stinsy]

Only the excess, these devices deliver a varied voltage to the resistive heating element therefore adjusting power level to exactly match the desired power consumption.

[Joeboy]

I need something clarifying. Devices such as the Marlec solar iboost detect when you are exporting more than 100 watts to the grid and can divert your excess production to the hot water tank. My immersion heater is rated at 2/2.85kW.
Does the device somehow send only your excess solar watts to the tank or must it be the full 2.85kW.

Although there is also a manual override which will send the full beans if you wish. This can become a remote over ride via phone if you add a switchbot. It can be brought in on 15 min steps up to two hours.

[Joeboy]

Dp.

[Stan]

That’s good news and thankyou everyone.
Is the Marlec iboostplus the best choice of the bunch? It can be bought for around £278.

[Joeboy]

That’s good news and thankyou everyone.
Is the Marlec iboostplus the best choice of the bunch? It can be bought for around £278.

Couldn't say for comparison but can offer that we have had 4 years trouble free service so far.

[Stinsy]

No personal experience (we have a combi) the "myenergi eddi" is considered the best of the bunch primarily because it integrates with an EV charging outlet from the same manufacturer. Pricey though.

[Stan]

Thanks Stinsy, that’s well worth knowing.

There’s an Artisan Electrics video here showing all the steps installing the Eddi and a Zappi to send excess power to the car first and then to the water heater.

[Oliver90owner]

That’s good news and thankyou everyone.
Is the Marlec iboostplus the best choice of the bunch? It can be bought for around £278.

Dunno about the rest but the Solic product claims not to send any excess to the grid. They are relatively simple, relatively low cost, with a 10 year guarantee (if installed by a leccy?), have a boost facility to top up the hot water if necessary and my earlier version has a pause button for something or other (possibly to direct surplus energy to another similar device?).

New options may include remote indication/control. I have two solics and have had no complaints of Earthwise responses. They offered to replace one of the two because the jack socket failed to connect - but I simply asked for a replacement socket as I could solder it in. They sent two.

I extended the sensor lead from the unit to close to the consumer unit with no problem.

Some used to have a choice of passing surplus current to the connected load or to turn full on when there was a certain (settable) excess. That full turn-on facility was not really required and was deleted, I think. It would be good for powering loads which only operate at mains voltage, but I’ve never considered trying it.

Therefore, to sum up, you do need to read the up-to-date user info, and I would recommend the Solic if it has the bells and whistles you must have. I just leave mine to get on with the task! Been working now for possibly 7 or 8 years.

Edited to add: Solics are about 200 quid. Black boxed ones are older units - around £130 on epay. Mine are both the earlier models (black boxes). With export of 100W before diversion, I would have missed an awful lot of generation over 7 or 8 years, so the Solic, with zero export (before diversion), has been especially superior - with my limited PV system (particularly in the winter months).