Think of your Geyser as an Energy Storage Asset, not a Cost.
XTEND Elements have two attributes that allow the geyser to be included with solar PV:
Think of your Geyser as an Energy Storage Asset, not a cost.
XTEND Elements have two attributes that allow the geyser to be included with solar PV:
Turn Your Geyser Into an Energy Storage Asset
With XTEND + Solar PV, your geyser can use excess daytime solar power to heat and store hot water for use later.
XTEND has two important advantages for solar PV:
1
Heats the water 25% more efficiently than a standard element
2
Uses 33% less instantaneous power
A 2kW XTEND replaces a 3kW standard element.
Why This Matters for Solar
Homes use much of their electricity outside daylight hours, and water heating can account for 30–40% of household electricity use.
Instead of storing solar electricity in an expensive battery and then using that electricity to heat water later, use excess daytime solar power to heat your geyser directly.
Your geyser effectively becomes a thermal battery, storing energy as hot water for use later.
XTEND + Solar PV + Batteries
Standard geyser elements typically draw 3kW–4kW, which is why they are often excluded from home battery/inverter systems
XTEND uses just 2kW to achieve a similar rate of heating, making it much easier for a residential solar system to power your geyser.- A 5kW hybrid inverter can comfortably power a 2kW XTEND Element, allowing excess daytime solar generation to be stored as hot water.
- Use batteries for electricity. Use your geyser to store heat.
A Smarter Solar Investment
XTEND costs significantly less than battery storage, heat pumps or solar thermal systems.
Put more of your solar budget into PV panels and generation, then use XTEND to convert spare daytime power into stored hot water.
How does this installation process work?
In short, very simply!
1
PLUMBER Installs XTEND element + timer
2
SOLAR COMPANY Installs inverter, panels (+batteries if desired)
3
HOMEOWNER Adjusts timer to maximise savings
Benefits
Lower solar PV system cost- Greater solar self-consumption
- Less reliance on battery storage for water heating
- Lower maintenance
- Simple installation
- No dedicated solar geyser system
- Less plumbing and complexity
- Easy control with a timer
- Modular and scalable
- Greater energy resilience
1
Heats the water 25% more efficiently
than a standard element
2
Uses 33% less instantaneous power
than a standard element
1
Heats the water 25% more efficiently
than a standard element
2
Uses 33% less instantaneous power
than a standard element
A 2kW XTEND element replaces a 3kW standard element. This is VERY IMPORTANT for solar PV!
A 2kW XTEND element replaces a 3kW standard element. This is VERY IMPORTANT for solar PV!
You need fewer solar panels to heat the water. Installing an XTEND Element and a separate solar PV system will provide electricity to the geyser and other appliances. The result is higher savings.
You need fewer solar panels to heat the water. Installing an XTEND Element and a separate solar PV system will provide electricity to the geyser and other appliances. The result is higher savings.
Homes use most of their electricity outside of daylight (solar) hours. Hot water accounts for a large portion of this (30-40%). Electricity generated during the day must be used immediately or stored for later use.
It is far cheaper to store your power as hot water, than to store it in a battery and then heat the geyser. Installing XTEND in your geyser is 10x cheaper than buying a battery. It achieves the same result of moving energy from day to night.
Batteries should be sized to manage the night-time electrical load (excluding water heating).
Homes use most of their electricity outside of daylight (solar) hours. Hot water accounts for a large portion of this (30-40%). Electricity generated during the day must be used immediately or stored for later use.
It is far cheaper to store your power as hot water, than to store it in a battery and then heat the geyser. Installing XTEND in your geyser is 10x cheaper than buying a battery. It achieves the same result of moving energy from day to night.
Batteries should be sized to manage the night-time electrical load (excluding water heating).
Lithium-ion battery storage is expensive, but your geyser is already paid for. XTEND elements can efficiently store daytime energy for later use. If you need to heat water outside of daylight hours, XTEND elements are 25% more efficient than normal element.
XTEND Elements + Solar PV + Batteries
A battery inverter needs to be sized to handle all appliances connected to it.
Geysers are almost always excluded from home battery inverters as they draw 3kW (150L) or 4kW (200L)
XTEND elements use 2kW to achieve a similar rate of heating
A 5kw hybrid/battery inverter easily powers a 2kW XTEND element
A well-sized residential PV system generates extra daytime power (except in winter)
Batteries are typically full, and the house load is low by early to mid-afternoon
Use your geyser as a thermal battery to store spare solar power as heat energy
XTEND elements cost 10x less than heat pumps / solar thermal. Spend this money on PV
Adding a few extra PV panels is simple and cost-effective. (If needed)
Hybrid inverters manage the panels, load, battery charging and geyser to buy the least power from the grid. The homeowner manages the timing of the load to maximise savings
How does the Installation Process Work?
In short, very simply!
Benefits
Minimised Solar PV system cost
No need for specific geyser systems
Maximised generation & self-consumption (power generated and used by home)
Minimised maintenance
Energy resilience
Easy user control
Less pipes and complexity around the geyser
Modular and integrated
With sufficient hot water storage it is now possible to take your geyser 'off-grid'
Geysers are almost always excluded from home battery inverters as they draw 3kW (150L) or 4kW (200L)
XTEND elements use 2kW to achieve a similar rate of heating
A 5kw hybrid/battery inverter easily powers a 2kW XTEND element
A well-sized residential PV system generates extra daytime power (except in winter)
Batteries are typically full, and the house load is low by early to mid-afternoon
Use your geyser as a thermal battery to store spare solar power as heat energy
XTEND elements cost 10x less than heat pumps / solar thermal. Spend this money on PV
Adding a few extra PV panels is simple and cost-effective. (If needed)
Hybrid inverters manage the panels, load, battery charging and geyser to buy the least power from the grid. The homeowner manages the timing of the load to maximise savings
How does the Installation Process Work?
In short, very simply!