PVT Solar, Inc.
Division: Distributed Generation
Karen Dzienkowski
2607 7th Street, Suite G
Berkeley, California, 94710, United States
Description
The PVT Solar™ Echo™ Solar System increases the energy output from a solar electric or “PV” array by 100-300% and adds only 25-35% to system costs. The technology provides more energy, more cost-effectively than basic PV, and it dramatically decreases greenhouse gas emissions too. Echo will displace 60% of a home’s energy use in a climate such as San Francisco, where basic PV systems displace only 30%, and it installs within essentially the same limited roof space. Addressing such a large percentage of the home’s energy provides a solid foundation to reach near-zero and net zero energy homes. In Arizona, Echo has reduced the HERS rating from 75 for a high quality home down to below 50. Besides generating more energy, more cost-effectively, Echo also improves the home’s demand profile compared to basic PV. The system utilizes the building’s thermal mass to shift demand off-peak and integrates with the home’s thermostat to implement pre-cooling and pre-heating strategies. Depending on the HVAC equipment, the home’s thermal mass and the degree of integration, the system can achieve peak demand reductions of 25-50%.
The Echo Solar System is an air-based PV/Thermal solar system that captures waste heat from the PV array and uses it to provide water heating, home heating and home cooling. Each system includes PV modules (any PV module can be used), racking, an inverter, an energy transfer module to exchange energy with the home’s water system, a controller and a consumer graphical user interface that pulls system operating data from a remote enterprise data server. Echo is a building integrated PV technology that looks good installed on new and existing homes, and its mechanical systems are fully packaged and designed as ‘solar appliances’.
The Echo controller and graphical user interface provide electrical and thermal generation information to the owner, as well as information on how the thermal energy is used in the home. The Echo controller offers supervisory as well as distributed level control for multiple energy devices and systems within the home. It will utilize zigbee and powerline control to integrate with other home energy devices, including energy storage, for expanded demand management and demand response. The system can provide demand response capabilities of 1-7 KW by managing residential loads, and can communicate with the utility either through a smart meter or through the Echo enterprise data server. Additionally, utility communication enables the system to provide real-time pricing data to the consumer and even energy burn-rate data for specific plug-loads to help influence consumer behavior. It can also provide utilities with real-time onsite generation data, and home energy use data.
The Echo Solar System is actively selling in existing and new home markets, with more than 50 complete systems installed and hundreds more in the pipeline, and it is now available for commercial buildings, too. Echo appeals to energy consumers and it provides utilities a packaged solution that delivers renewable generation, energy efficiency and peak demand reduction—all critical facets of providing energy in a low-carbon future.