Benefits of an Intelligent Management and Control System for Solar Water Heaters
The global smart home market is projected to grow to $53.4 billion by 2022. A smart home, also called home automation, is an automation system that controls lighting, climate, entertainment, appliances, and home security. Smart devices, when connected to the Internet, are part of a network of devices called the Internet of Things (IoT). These interconnected devices share data and offer services such as a better quality of life and greater business insight. It is estimated that by 2025 the installed base of IoT devices will exceed 75 billion. Of these, 1.2 billion will be smart home devices.
The services offered by a system depend on the type of use and user and are practically based on applications and data processing.
- Services to the user/owner with the aim of satisfying the user/owner through improved services, reduced energy consumption, reduced costs, and participation in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions:
a. the ability to know the temperature and also the amount of water available.
b. the ability to remotely activate the electrical resistance.
c. the information of the energy obtained from the sun in relation to the electrical resistance expressed both in kWh and the amount of CO2 saved by using the sun.
d. to program the consumption by setting the time and temperature.
e. Ability to identify problems such as:
i) leakage
ii) detection of resistance or thermostat failure
στ. Ability to participate in energy saving. - Services to professionals (manufacturers, distributors, installers, and maintainers) bringing products into the digital age and expanding their business opportunities:
a.. Increased sales due to customer satisfaction with the upgraded services they will enjoy and the improvement of the product image.
b.. Consumer/customer profile.
c. Geographical location of the system.
d. Operating statistics by geographical area and CO2 emission reduction.
e. Understanding of its product and differentiation from its competition.
f. Evidence of actual evaluation of its products based on now measured data in real-time.
g. Evidence to optimize the manufacturing of his product and thus redesign it.
i. Prediction of access to other types of customers such as energy communities, smart grid service providers (e.g. aggregators), energy companies, and grids. - Services to smart grids that can enable the sale of energy, the reduction of maximum installed capacity, and the optimization of the deployment of distribution networks and their management.
a. Ability to control resistance remotely in the context of grid balancing.
b. Utilization of hot water storage tank for flexibility services to the grid.
c. Data on the operation of the systems with identification of the installation area.
d. Smart metering capabilities.
e. Possibility to use the data collected to study the impact of solar thermal systems on the environment through and CO2 emission reduction.