Solar hot water for farms and stations
On a farm or station, hot water often comes from a diesel generator, a busy off-grid battery or a long, expensive grid connection. iHot runs a standard electric hot water tank from its own dedicated solar panels, so the homestead, workers' quarters or shed can have hot water from the sun without adding load to your battery or running the generator every day.
Why iHot suits rural properties
- Less generator time. Heating a family's hot water from a diesel generator takes about 2.5 to 3 litres of fuel a day, roughly $1,800 to $2,300 a year at $2 a litre, plus generator hours and servicing. With iHot, the generator becomes a backup for long cloudy spells.
- No load on your battery or inverter. iHot isn't connected to your house solar, battery or main inverter, so pumps, fridges and tools keep their stored energy.
- Panels where there's room. Put the dedicated panels on a shed roof, carport or ground frame near the tank. No heavy roof tank and no plumbing to the roof.
- Tough and simple. The iHot unit is solid-state and IP68 rated, with no compressor, fan or refrigerant to fail a long way from a service technician.
- A standard tank any plumber can fix. iHot runs the tank's normal element and thermostat, so the tank itself stays a standard electric tank.
Where it works on a property
- The homestead. Family hot water without draining the house battery overnight.
- Workers' and shearers' quarters. A separate iHot and tank for each building, so quarters don't compete with the house for power.
- Sheds, dairies and wash-down areas. Hot water heated from a few panels on the shed roof.
- Camps and seasonal accommodation. Hot showers from the sun, with no generator running at night.
Sizing for a rural property
As a starting point at Brisbane's latitude with north-facing panels: 4 to 6 dedicated panels for 2 people, 6 to 8 for 4 people, and 8 (the recommended maximum) for 6 people. Without grid boost, plan for the upper end. For bigger crews, use more than one iHot and tank rather than one oversized system.
The tank is your thermal battery. A larger, well-insulated tank (for example 315 to 400 litres for a family) carries more hot water through a cloudy day. On a ground frame, tilting the panels more steeply than usual favours the low winter sun.
Getting iHot to a remote property
- Kits with panels. Our solar hot water kits include the iHot unit and 6 or 8 LONGi 475 W panels, with rails, cable and isolator in the complete kit. Freight is quoted to your address, or pick up from our Wynnum warehouse in Brisbane.
- Installed by a qualified electrician. A licensed electrician must install and connect the system. An accredited installer can also claim the STCs, worth about $800 to $1,000 on the dedicated panels.
Honest limits
- It needs an electric tank. iHot runs a resistive element up to 3.6 kW. It doesn't work with gas-only systems.
- It needs space for panels. 6 to 8 panels for a typical family, on a roof or ground frame.
- Cloudy weather. Weaker sun means less heat. Plan a backup, such as a generator input, for long wet spells.
Questions
Can the panels go on a shed or a ground frame away from the house?
Yes. The dedicated panels can go on a shed or carport roof, or a ground-mounted frame. Your electrician will size the cable for the distance to the iHot unit, which mounts on the wall beside the tank.
We have several dwellings. Can iHot cover them all?
Each iHot runs one tank, so a homestead and workers' quarters with separate tanks would each have their own iHot and panels. That also means one building's hot water never depends on another's.
How does iHot cope with dust and heat?
The iHot unit is solid-state and IP68 rated, with no fan or compressor to clog with dust. Like any solar panels, the dedicated panels work best when kept reasonably clean.
What about long runs of cloud or rain?
iHot keeps making some heat on cloudy days, and owners have reported hot water through cyclones and wet weather. For long spells, a generator can top up the tank through iHot's grid input: when the generator is running and the tank's thermostat switches on, the element heats from generator power.
Do we need a new tank?
Not if you have a standard electric storage tank in good condition with an element up to 3.6 kW. iHot can also be fitted to many solar and heat pump tanks via their backup element, at your installer's discretion.
Planning hot water for a farm or station? Tell us where the property is, how many buildings and people need hot water, and what tanks and power you have now. We'll send you a price and an honest recommendation.
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