AC•THOR 9s turns PV surplus into maximum living comfort
Green energy for Casa Verde
Casa Verde shows how modern architecture, high living comfort, and photovoltaic heat generation work together seamlessly.
Facts about the project
- Owner/planner
- Project location
- Photovoltaic power, orientation
- Type of building
- Year of construction
- Inverter, battery, EV charger
- Heat storage
- Used my-PV product + benefit
- System control type
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The Casa Verde villa in Flanders is an architectural statement: clean lines, expansive glass surfaces, and a consistently modern design language define this new-build project. Sustainability and energy efficiency are not merely stylistic elements, but core components of the overall living concept - perfectly in line with the name of the house. At the heart of the project is a carefully coordinated interaction between photovoltaics, battery storage, and solar-based heat generation.
A 36 kWp photovoltaic system with east/west orientation was installed on the flat roof of the villa. This configuration ensures evenly distributed power generation throughout the day. The goal of the project was to use as much of the self-generated energy directly within the building as possible, sustainably reduce energy costs, and minimize the use of fossil fuels—without compromising on living comfort.
As the owner works as a distributor for Solar-Log, a compatibility partner of my-PV, in the Benelux region, he became familiar with my-PV solutions through his professional activities. The AC•THOR 9s quickly proved to be the ideal product for efficiently using surplus PV power for domestic hot water preparation and heating the indoor swimming pool. Additional motivation came from the local market conditions: feed-in tariffs are low, averaging only around 6 ct/kWh, while electricity prices are approximately 32 ct/kWh. In some cases, feeding electricity into the grid even incurs costs when market prices are negative. As a result, maximizing PV self-consumption is becoming increasingly attractive in Flanders.
Personal customer opinion and resumee
The customer is highly enthusiastic about the innovative strength of my-PV products. Smooth and reliable compatibility is particularly important to him: with more than 90 partners, my-PV is a pioneer in successful system cooperation.
“I’m passionate about electronics and renewable energy. This way, I have the opportunity to set up these kinds of systems myself and benefit from good prices when purchasing the products. New products that work well together are beneficial; if one product becomes defective, it can cause problems. Therefore, it’s important that such cooperation functions reliably over a long period so that overall reliability is maintained.”
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How did you come across my-PV?
A decisive impulse for implementing a my-PV solution came directly from the owner’s professional background. As a Solar-Log distributor—a compatibility partner of my-PV—he is very familiar with energy management systems in the Benelux region. In this context, he also became acquainted with my-PV solutions. The AC•THOR 9s quickly emerged as an ideal addition for efficiently utilizing surplus photovoltaic energy for domestic hot water and indoor pool heating.
Further motivation was provided by the regional framework conditions in Flanders. Feed-in tariffs average only around 6 ct/kWh, while electricity prices are approximately 32 ct/kWh.
Obstacles/specialties during the installation?
The installation of the overall system was largely smooth. However, the operator noted that communication between the individual system components, as well as the correct prioritization of loads, posed a certain challenge. From his perspective, an AI-supported commissioning process would have simplified the setup and made it easier to explore all functions of the AC•THOR 9s.
How is the system set up?
The system is based on two SMA inverters (STP10 SE and STP15), a BYD battery storage system with a capacity of 20.48 kWh, and the SMA Home Controller as the central control unit. The Home Controller is responsible for both monitoring and regulating the entire system. This once again highlights the importance of open and compatible system solutions, as the SMA Home Controller is also a compatibility partner of my-PV.
Load prioritization is clearly defined: first, the battery storage is charged, followed by charging the electric vehicle. Next, the pool heating is activated, followed by domestic hot water preparation. Only once these consumers have been supplied is surplus energy fed into the public grid.
To utilize PV surpluses for thermal applications, the AC•THOR 9s controls two electric heating elements, each rated at 9 kW. These are installed in two separate storage tanks: a 200-litre domestic hot water tank and an 800-litre buffer tank for pool heating. The buffer tank is part of a system in which the heating element operates in series with a gas boiler that transfers heat to the pool heat exchanger. The gas boiler only switches on when the temperature at the boiler inlet is too low, significantly reducing gas consumption.
Although the AC•THOR 9s is designed as a single 9 kW power controller, the system enables a total heating output of up to 18 kW. The first heating element is controlled linearly, while the second heating element is activated via a potential-free relay contact as soon as sufficient PV surplus is available. This ensures optimal utilization of available solar energy.
People in the house and hot water demand
The villa is occupied by four people, resulting in a correspondingly high demand for domestic hot water. In addition, the heated indoor pool requires approximately 100 to 200 litres of heated water per day.
As a backup system, a water-to-water heat pump connected to boreholes is installed. It provides domestic hot water and underfloor heating during the winter months. However, due to its design, it is not suitable for supplying the large amounts of energy required for pool heating and therefore remains largely inactive during the summer months.
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AC•THOR 9s
in use
Simple & efficient: AC•THOR 9s controls up to 3 electrical heat sources depending on the availability of PV energy and heat demand – for both hot water, as well as for space heating. It ensures your personal living comfort fully automatically.
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