Power management company Eaton has launched xStorage Home, a single unit energy storage system designed to give households uninterrupted energy and a lower power bill, in South Africa. The system maximises solar photovoltaic (PV) self-consumption to keep power on during load-shedding and power failures.
The xStorage Home lets households store energy produced during the day, to use in the day and night, reducing their CO2 footprint. When the sun is obstructed, the system allows users to harvest energy in off-peak windows, reducing dependence on the grid and insulating them from the effects of load-shedding.
“xStorage Home provides new solutions for the South African self-consumption market, encouraging the increased adoption of renewable energy and making it possible for home owners to reduce their dependency on the national grid,” says Jaco du Plooy, power quality and xStorage Home product manager at Eaton.
“The product is now available in South Africa through our network of trained and qualified installers, who can advise home owners about the best way to manage their off-grid power needs.”
The energy storage system was designed by Eaton and incorporates new or second-use lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicle leader Nissan. Eaton says the system is also straightforward to expand, making it a viable solution for high-end residential and light commercial buildings.
xStorage Home has four intelligent operating modes, giving users the “power” to choose whether they want to maximise self-generated solar power, or choose when to charge from the grid based on time of day. The xStorage Home app makes it possible for users to see and manage their energy consumption, from wherever they are.
Users of the app will be able to follow the generation and consumption of their energy and check their battery status from their phone or tablet. This includes aspects like monitoring battery state of charge and managing critical and non-critical load consumption. On top of this functionality, the app can also be accessed through the cloud, for monitoring power consumption while away from home.
The system meets the highest electrical safety standards, and each unit requires no more than one square metre of floor space.