Year-round clean energy with return on investment in just 6-8 years
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| Type | Region | Products | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential PV | Piła, Poland | 4 * HMS-2000-4T 1 * HYS-5.0LV-EUG1 | 10.86 kWp |
The residential installation by FreezerSIG
How do you harness the money-saving power of solar energy if your building’s roof doesn’t have one large, continuous flat space to mount solar panels on?
And how do you ensure year-round access to solar electricity when your country gets just an hour of sunshine a day in winter?
An elegant solution to a complex installation challenge, this residential solar power project from Poland won the “Distinguished Award” in the Residential PV category for Europe in Hoymiles’ Solar Project Contest 2023.
Their Story
Reducing energy costs for a challenging building
Grzegorz Gruca was looking for a dependable way to reduce the cost of buying electricity for a residential project. Setting up his own solar energy system looked like the perfect way to do just that – and as the owner of the DIY YouTube channel FreezerSIG, he was confident that, with the right supplier, he could design a top-notch installation himself.
After comparing different solar power technology providers, Gruca decided to go with Hoymiles. The price was affordable and past customers had left highly positive reviews.
But choosing a supplier was only the first hurdle. The installation would be no easy task.
The building on which he would be putting the installation had a tricky design. It would require a range of different mounting brackets and locations. What’s more, he needed 24 photovoltaic panels in total. Usually, it would be possible to install all of the panels in two rows of 12, one on top of the other. But the awkward shape of the building ruled this out.
Gruca had to find a more sophisticated fix.
Together, he and Hoymiles devised the answer.
Their Solution
Efficient energy supply
To meet these challenges, Gruca designed a setup comprising four microinverters and one hybrid inverter from Hoymiles.
Each of the microinverters connected to multiple solar panels, turning the direct current electricity they generated into alternating current that could be safely used to power the building. Crucially, this allowed Gruca to install the panels in smaller groups on different spots around the roof, rather than needing to string all 24 panels together.
Part of the solar panel and microinverter installation, as designed by Grzegorz Gruca of FreezerSIG
Even better, this system meant he could maximize energy production. Unlike a string setup, where one underperforming panel drags down the whole chain, using microinverters optimized the output of every panel, yielding maximum results.
And these weren’t just any microinverters. Hoymiles’ HMS-2000-4T model was found to have the highest peak efficiency in the world, three years running – at an impressive 96.7%. Its production capacity and reliability are hard to beat.
Uninterrupted power, all year round
Meanwhile, including an HYS-5.0LV hybrid inverter in the system helped tackle another problem: how to avoid a dip in power during less sunny seasons.
This is a big challenge in a country like Poland, but the hybrid inverter neatly fixed the issue: In addition to converting DC energy to AC energy, a hybrid inverter can also convert AC energy back to DC energy. This means that any unused solar energy generated on sunny days can be converted back to DC energy for storage in batteries – ready to be used on gloomy days when solar panels generate less power.
The HYS Hybrid Inverter used in the project
Their Success
Grzegorz Gruca was able to maximize the output of all 24 panels, producing enough energy to recoup the costs in just 6-8 years.
A perfect system that pays for itself
Gruca was thrilled with this setup, calling it an “ideal solution” to his problem.
The system worked exactly as planned, adapting to the limitations of the site and providing year-round, continuous power. It’s also shaping up to deliver an excellent return on investment.
Now the customer has almost all his home appliances running from the solar system, including two 3kW heaters and an oven.
He estimated that this installation would produce around 10,000 kWh of energy every year, meaning it would have paid for itself in just six to eight years.
That means it’s not only a reliable source of clean, renewable energy. It’s also a fantastic way to dramatically reduce electricity costs long-term, saving the customer money year on year and shielding them against rising energy costs.
Turning a profit
In fact, the energy demand for Grezogz’s building is only around 6,000 kWh per year. That means he’s actually able to generate 4,000 kWh more than he needs – and can sell the excess back to the grid. Not only will the customer be able to maximize ROI and pay off the set-up costs faster, he’ll even be able to make money from the system in the long term!
