What are Sunamp Heat Batteries?
Sunamp Heat Batteries are highly efficient energy storage systems that work with any PV systems and can deliver heating or hot water on demand. Sunamp Heat Batteries use a Phase Change Material (PCM) called Sodium Acetate Trihydrate to very efficiently store heat. To give you a better understanding of SunampPV, below is a video of Sunamp CEO Andrew Bissell explaining how the product works.
Why install Heat Batteries?
Heat is one of the biggest uses of energy in the UK. Hot water alone accommodates for approximately 24% of the average household energy bill with 60% being spent on heating. Sunamp Heat Batteries allow very efficient storage of energy when the energy is cheaper to buy (such as economy 7) or even better when the energy is being produced for free.
When at peak saturation, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems will produce more electrical energy than the home will use and the 'excess' electrical energy will be sent back to the local grid. By 'diverting' excess electrical energy into Sunamp Heat Batteries this energy is stored and can be used by the homeowner/tenant instead of using 'expensive' energy at a later time.
What are the benefits of SunampPV?
Below is a case study that was done by Sunamp themselves. As you can see installing a SunampPV can be an incredibly lucrative investment regardless of the size of your house. Whether it be a small 1 bedroom semi-detached bungalow or a large 5 bedroom house. You could be making outrageous savings on your annual heating and hot water bills! The Sunamp PV drastically reduces the volume of carbon dioxide released from your house too, making it very environmentally friendly.
What is the system cost and payback?
So, after reading up on the SunampPV you're probably wondering how much the product will cost to install. In some cases, Sunamp estimate that the installed cost of a SunampPV to be around £2300 - £2500. This may be more expensive than most conventional hot water cylinders but your return on investment over years to come will far outweigh that of the conventional product. Based on a property with a 4KW PV system, SunampPV Heat Batteries would payback in about 9 years just with the energy it would save you alone. This equates to a return on investment of about 12% and not even the best high street bank offers 12% on any cash deposit! SunampPV Heat Batteries also have a very low standing heat loss thanks to Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP's) at only 0.5kWh (kilowatt hour) loss per 24 hours - a saving of about £200 a year on energy that would be lost against the equivalent 120 litre cylinder or thermal store.
Below is a table that showcases the cost savings and benefits of SunampPV against other hot water cylinders.
|
Brand |
 |
 |
 |
| Model | Megaflo ECO 125DD | uniSTOR 120 | SunampPV |
| Product dimensions | 1132mm x 579mm x 600mm | 1033mm x 555mm x 633mm | 700mm x 300mm x 530mm |
|
Minimum dimensions required for installation |
1232mm x 679mm x 700mm | 1133mm x 655mm x 733mm | 800mm x 320mm x 630mm |
|
Will fit under a standard kitchen counter |
NO | NO | YES |
| Weight when full (kg) | 174kg | 145kg | 85kg |
| Standing Heat Loss/24hr (kWh) | 1.19 | 1.26 | 0.58 |
| Standing Heat Loss/annum | 434.35 | 459.90 | 211.34 |
|
Annual cost losses per/annum (based on £0.16 per kWh) |
67.76 | 71.74 | 32.97 |
As you can see SunampPV is superior on all criteria presented in this table when compared with other major competitors Vaillan and HeatraeSadia. It's unique design means that it's much smaller than most hot water cylinders and can easily be installed under any standard sized kitchen counter. It's extremely high efficiency makes it unquestionably one of the best quality products in it's category.