Q&A: ELECTROLUX
Electrolux:
Driving sustainable solutions In 2020, PowerOptimal, a leader in innovative sustainable energy and demand management solutions, partnered with the South African subsidiary of the Swedish global appliance giant Electrolux, to bring cost-effective, sustainable solar photovoltaic (PV) water heating solutions to the South African market. SA BUSINESS INTEGRATOR spoke to Murray Crow, Managing Director at Electrolux South Africa. How does the Elon Smart Water Solution operate? The Elon Smart Water Solution will monitor and closely manage geyser performance and energy consumption, as well as trigger early alerts to homeowners and insurers in the event of water leaks, element failures and other operational information. One major advantage is the plug-and-play solar PV capability – no separate solar PV controller is needed, which reduces cost. The solution provides smart, green connected geysers to be monitored and managed from a mobile phone. It is also the only smart water heater with integrated solar PV capability in the world. Whilst electrical components on standard geysers typically have a one-year warranty, the Elon Smart thermostat will have a two-year warranty, extendable to five years on registration. Combined with solar PV modules that typically have 25-year performance warranties, and the fact that there are no moving parts except for a few relays that switch under zero load, it is expected that the solution will provide many years of maintenancefree operation. Risk is reduced through active monitoring, management and reporting of water heater performance and safety.
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Being locally designed, what added value has the Elon Smart Water Solution brought about? New opportunities will be created in South Africa across the value chain – including manufacturing, retail, installation, maintenance, support and services. Local design and manufacture mean a much closer relationship with the manufacturer, enabling better control and visibility of the supply chain, as well as supporting local manufacturing jobs.
Which industries can benefit from using such a system, and could it also be a viable option for low-income housing? With an installed base of over 7 million electric water heaters in South Africa, the residential water heater market (new build and retrofit) will be the main focus for the foreseeable future. Commercial and industrial applications will be explored later. Business models should be developed to allow low-income housing developments to reap the benefits of clean solar PV energy. Solar PV is already the lowest-cost way to heat water in South Africa on a total cost basis (in other
