Spanish company unveils PV-driven thermal system for self-consumption

Spain's H2 Fusión says its Solar Heat PR5 system uses PV energy to produce hot water for self-consumption in industrial buildings, reaching temperatures of up to 92 C.

From pv magazine Spain

H2 Fusión, a unit of Spanish semiconductor manufacturer Meins, has developed Solar Heat PR5, a thermal system that directly produces hot water for self-consumption using only PV energy.

“The PR5 system transforms photovoltaic energy into thermal kilowatts,” the company said, noting the product comes in 80 kW and 100 kW models and heats water up to 92 C. “It is usual for conventional energy production equipment to reach, at most, up to 60 C.”

The thermal system weighs 360 kg and measures 1,800 mm x 700 mm x 700 mm. It operates at a maximum pressure of 6 bars and within a temperature range of -10 C to 50 C. The company said potential applications include the meat industry, health sector, hotels, livestock, and agriculture.

“However, its uses are not limited only to the professional field, but the PR5 is a device designed for any building that is required to comply with the specific standards of technical building codes,” said H2 Fusión.

The company told pv magazine that it is now finalizing the installation of the system for Limcasa Group, a Spanish facility service company.

“The installation has a 150 kW gas boiler and works at 65 C and we have installed a PR5 in series with the boiler in order to heat the water return and prevent the gas boiler from starting and consuming fossil fuels,” said an H2 Fusión spokesperson.

The company claimed that the thermal energy matches PV output. For example, a 100 kW solar system in Salamanca, producing 160 MWh per year, would generate the same amount of thermal energy. A 100 kW system requires 100 kW to 120 kW of installed PV capacity.

The company said that “the PR5 system transforms the variable costs of energy into fixed energy costs during the 25-year useful life of the system.” It also noted that “the energy it uses is free because it is produced using natural resources, so the only fixed cost is the initial investment to install the system.”