You are bidding on our innovative product:

The Solar Hybrid Hot Water Electronic Controller NO BOX
(For use with a standard domestic Electric Hot Water Heater, you provide box)

• Affordable - Compare with fluid systems costing $5,000 or more!
• Save Money - Reduced grid power usage saves you hundreds every year!
• Maintenance Free - NO pumps, NO pipes, NO freezing to worry about!
• Less Equipment - NO batteries, NO inverters, NO charge controllers!
• Always Hot - Hybrid hot water on bad solar days / solar if grid is down!
• Grid Power Backup - Dark cloudy days are not a problem!
• Winter Cold Proof - Solar PV panels work when fluid systems would be too cold
• Freeze Proof - No outside pipes to freeze, solves problems fluid systems have
• MPPT - Microprocessor controlled constant Maximum Power Point Tracking
• No Batteries - Batteries are a pain! Lots of energy loss, messy, 5 yr lifespan
• Upgradeable System - Add more solar panels or a second unit as you go
• Time Of Use Ready - Got high PEAK POWER PRICES? This will help!
• Eco Friendly - Reduced CO2 emissions! Reduce your carbon footprint!
• Home Value - You own the solar panels, not the power company!
• Easy Install - Two wires in and two wires out!
• Uses Installed Heater - Uses the existing electric water heater in most cases
• No Element Change - No heating element change is needed in most cases
• Off Grid Possible - Completely off grid is possible, upgradeable system!
• "Smart" Meter Ready - No power company contracts or hassles!
• UL 1741 Compliant - UL, NEC and NEMA compliant, see Specs below
• Made in the USA - Designed and manufactured in the USA

HOW LONG DO YOU WANT TO KEEP PAYING THE POWER COMPANY?
Why RENT your power when you
can EASILY OWN IT?
What this will do for you:
You are already paying to heat water in your home, our innovative product, the Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller will save you money on your power bill by supplementing your hot water heater power usage with free solar power.

FREE ENERGY FROM THE SUN heats your water with a low cost, simple, easy to install system.

No pumps, pipes, re-plumbing or freezing to worry about, just two simple wires! No need to drain the tank.

Wires are a lot easier to run than doing plumbing.

Only minor modifications are needed for most standard water heaters, simple wiring modifications. NO HEATING ELEMENT CHANGES NEEDED. The wiring modifications are easily reversible.

You can Do It Yourself DIY or ask your local professional solar installer or dealer from our growing list about how well it works!

Watch it operate in this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVfADiKhjmY


Your hot water tank becomes a "solar storage battery", storing energy as heat, reducing your power bill without expensive deep cycle batteries, charge controllers or inverters. Daily solar panel watts = watts off your bill. Maintenance free, no messy batteries to change out every 5 years, no battery charging power losses, no inverter conversion losses.

Direct connect MPPT solar power is by far, the most efficient method of using PV panels to heat water. The maximum power/BTUh from each solar watt-hour is efficiently, directly saved as BTUh energy in your hot water tank, reducing your power bill.

The solar energy gets stored in your hot water tank and adds up all day long, example, 750W all of hour 1 + 7500W all of hour 2, etc.. So the upper grid backup heating element comes on less. 750W X 9 hours sun = 6,750 Wh or about 6.7 KWh a day off your bill, not bad, that's over 200 KWh a month! Time your use and conserve and you are in pretty good shape for what you spent on this low cost system. (your daily solar output may vary)

You can have hot water when grid power is out (limited to solar wattage of course). You get hot water in the winter when fluid based systems would get too cold to work well.

Things have changed, Solar Panels are now available on a regular basis for close to 90 cents a Watt or less shipped to your door, making this the low cost choice for solar water heating! (solar panels not included)

The Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller allows you to use a standard domestic Hot Water Heater with standard "24V" Solar Panels starting with a "48V" configuration ( 2 x "24V" ). You do not have to change the heating element!

Works equally well with "12V" panels. Many different configurations of "12V" panels are possible, starting at "48V" (4 panels) minimum.

Solar tax credits and power company rebates may be available! [ Check your State Here ]

No piping nightmare!
You don't have to change the existing heating element, make any plumbing modifications, or drain the tank. No 2nd tank. No Pumps. No chance of leaks from this mod. Piped systems cost thousands of dollars.

Only two wires (+/-) coming from the Solar Panels and two going to the water heater are needed.

No battery. No charge controller. No inverter.
Save money on your power bill without messy batteries, expensive charge controllers or inverters. You can pay for all that and still have the hassles of the battery running down, running extension cords all over the house, tying into your electrical box circuits, switch over relays, UPSs and more. Batteries can have up to 50% energy loss.

With an inverter you have to balance a your AC loads with your batteries and daily solar panel output wattage, and what about cloudy days? It's not fun adjusting your system all the time to changing conditions. Cheap, inexpensive power becomes a inverter and battery baby sitting job. This cost effective system requires little or no attention.

With the Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller, if you put 750Wh of heat energy into your tank, you save about 750Wh every hour off your grid power use with less hassle and loss than a battery system.


Simple to wire.
Only two wires (+/-) coming from the Solar Panels and two going to the water heater are needed.




The Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller has a CPU specially programmed for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and continually adjusts during the day to get the most power from the Solar Panels. MPPT is especially needed in the mornings, afternoons or cloudy days to keep the most power pumping into the heating element at all times. You can try hooking up your solar panels direct, but without MPPT you will get little heat for your investment and have other problems. (See the FAQ page for more on this)

The Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller uses little power, has low insertion loss and no bulky wasteful transformer. It's 97% efficient! (pass through)

Many different configurations are possible, such as solar plus grid power backup (hybrid) or solar only (with conservation, see our other larger systems). The nice thing about PV Electric is you could re-configure the panel wiring in an emergency as a power back-up if needed.

You are always fighting daily tank heat loss. As an example, a small low wattage solar panel system of only 250W can keep a 40 gallon domestic Hot Water Heater up to temperature without any daily grid power needed (note: little or no use). The recommended 2 panel 440W minimum system gives you a little more than that and is a good economical tradeoff between grid power and solar costs, if you go too high in watts the thermostat may click off more and then you are wasting your investment in solar panels. Everything you put in via solar adds up all day long and monthly!

750W (3 panels) has been getting good results for customers, you should use the bigger box. As you go with even more panels wired in series the open voltage goes up so you should use a professional electrician for the wiring part.

For a 2 panel recommended minimum system, it fits in this low cost $8 UL Listed electrical disconnect box available at Lowes or Home Depot (not included because you pick the box depending on your wattage). For $7 you get a disconnect switch, wire connection terminals and a nice enclosure with no extra shipping charges!

The controller fits perfectly in the Eaton box without any drilling or modifications to the box.

Heating elements run at a lower wattage with less stress and will last longer. Higher voltage means lower cost wire and less power loss over long runs.

Can be used on a small electric "pre-heat" tank for use with a gas water heater.

"Smart" Meter Ready. The so called "Smart" Electric Power Meter is notorious for not reading "backwards", meaning if you pump power into the grid with a solar grid tie inverter they will still run forward. The Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller sends solar power directly to the heating element which reduces the power you use from the grid for hot water. You now have solar electric energy without power company contracts or hassles.

Solar panel daily watts = watts off your power bill. Less grid power usage, lower bill.

You can buy a more expensive UL Listed electrical box on the Internet or a local Electrical Supply house, your choice. The bigger the box, the bigger the heat sink if you plan to push more watts for some reason. The Eaton box gets slightly warm with the 2 panel recommended system and warmer with 3 panels, you should go to the bigger box.
See our [ Other Enclosures Page ] for more info.

No moving parts (such as a fan), it works quietly and efficiently day in and day out without maintenance hassles.

Winter efficiency does not decrease like liquid based systems. No heavy collectors on the roof, just lightweight solar panels.

Fluid based systems also have a grid backup element for dark cloudy days. Many of the standard fluid based systems are equivalent in actual energy put into the use tank as a 750W PV system.

Continues to work even during grid power outages and light cloudy days. No copper piping changes, soldering or expensive pumps to wear out.


The device comes as a partly assembled kit.

The circuit is fully assembled and tested and comes mounted on it's heat sink as shown to the right. > > >

Depending on the number of panels you will run, you pick a box from Lowes, Home Depot or a local Electrical Supply house, buy some plywood, mount it & wire the unit. No soldering required.

The box and plywood are not included in the kit.

A controller with a Eaton or bigger box is available from us,
check our other items on eBay. (shipping costs more too)

Questions? Take a look at our extensive and long winded Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller FAQ page.

E-mail support is available and preferred, phone support is also available but limited.

What else can you buy that will keep on giving you a return for 25 to 35 years+ after you recoup your initial investment?

Any power reducing modification on a piece of real estate will increase the property value.

One of the biggest energy users in your home, next to heating and cooling, is your hot water heater!

You will now own something of substance and value instead of throwing money year after year into the power company black hole!

Reduce your carbon footprint now! Reduce reliance on foreign oil!

The "future" all electric house is now possible and efficient!

The Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller is made in the USA! Your purchase helps support local American electronic assemblers, parts suppliers and machinists.

[ Click here to see the Hybrid Controller FAQ page for more details ]

The Solar Hybrid Hot Water Controller is Patent Pending.


A Few Customer Reviews And Installs:

"Checked at noon water temp at tap was 128 so don't believe the upper element came on during the day." "Excellent product and extremely helpful input for installing."
Mark, VA
(480W of panels, 80ft #10 wire, added amp and volt meter)





"Today I am impressed. I got to 134F under cloudy skies. Outstanding!"
Joe, NM
(448W of panels, pre-heat tank for gas water heater)





"My system is working great. Temp was 142 yesterday which is about 10 degrees above where thermostat was set. This is right on because that is sensing in the bottom and heat is rising and collecting in the top which can easily be above that lower thermostat setting. I have had the breaker to it off since installing so no top element is on and plenty of hot water."
John, TN     (690W 3 x 230W of panels. bigger box for heat sink)


"It's working good!"
Mark B, MT
(750W 3 x 250W of panels, bigger box from old power supply for extra heat sink)




"The controller works well and maintains the hot water tank between 50 to 70 degrees Centigrade, except on overcast days." (122F to 158F with 540W, 3 x 180W panels)
Ian, Queensland Australia

"Looks like a great invention!!"
Ed, CT



Dual unit for both upper and lower elements for pre-heating a high usage system.
TL, NV   (1500W total 6 x 250W of panels, large 12x12x4" UL approved box for extra heat sink)






Another way to wire the lower element.
(access cover removed)




See what Sunetric has to say about PV Electric for Hot Water in this White Paper, they are a Solar Systems Installer for Hawaii, Colorado, California, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. (lots of charts here too, remember that we are suggesting to only boost your hot water needs to be more economical and cost effective unless you are ready to install a big system or go off grid): http://sunetric.com/whitepapers/solar-hot-water/ - or -
http://sunetric.com/whitepapers/solar-hot-water/ (via archive.org)



Specs:
Absolute Maximum Voltage: 250V DC (panel open circuit should never approach this)
Max Operating Voltage: 200V (operating means when panels are under load)
Max Operating Current: 10A (larger box / mount to extra heat sink required over 500W)
Typical Operating V&A: 70V to 170V at 8A (only voltage goes up with more panels)
Max Panel Watts: 1250W Solar Panel "sticker" Watts (you don't need this much! FAQ)
Solar Panel Wiring Configuration: Always in SERIES (voltage up, amps the same)
Insertion Efficiency: 97% (pass through)
Switch: High tech, latest technology IGBT (mosfet) 80A peak (over designed)
IGBT Gate Drive: 15V, hard off/on for maximum efficiency and quick switching
Microprocessor CPU Controlled MPPT with constant adjustment
UL 1741 compliant when using a UL Listed, NEMA rated enclosure and metal conduit
NEC Article 409 compliant when using a UL Listed, NEMA rated enclosure
Recommended minimum solar panel wattage, unit in box: Around 440W (2 x "24V")
("48V" panels will generally MPPT at 60V to 70V depending on the model)
Heating Element: Standard 4500/3380W 240/208V or others tested, see [ tests page ]
Load Type: Resistive loads only (no reactive loads like motors or anything with coils)
Wire Size: 12 AWG minimum to the element, BX cable, 5 ft max length, shorter is better
#10 AWG from panels in most cases is best (depends on the voltage you are running)
Must be mounted in a Eaton box or other larger box/piece of metal for a extra heat sink.
This is a transformerless device. No loss through a transformer! No winding short/open.
Controller Size: 4.5"W x 4.5"L x 1.5"H
Always use a thermostat on any element! For indoor use only. Not for use with batteries.
A professional installer or electrician should be used for any install.
These specifications are subject to change without notice.

This is a low voltage DC off grid system not connected to the electrical grid "mains"

Eaton Disconnect Box: (Home Depot lists them retail for $8, purchased separately)
Note: Controller fits in this exact box perfectly without any modifications or drilling
60 Amp Disconnect Model: DPU222RP
UL Listed 74X2 #E132354, #E143893, #E196365
CSA Listed: File 069743 (DH222R)
ANSI certified
NEMA Rating 3R Enclosure
Suitable for CSA Type 3R applications
Meets 2008 NEC Article 422.31 (B) requirements for servicing electric water heaters Copper or Aluminum wire rated (AL or CU Wire)
Canada Alternate Model: 3GAC222NF
Box Depth (in.) 3 in
Box Height (in.) 9 in
Box Width (in.) 5.5 in
Do not buy the GE box that looks the same, it's too small inside and the controller won't fit.

As you add more panels you connect them in SERIES. Make sure your OPEN VOLTAGE is well under the ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM VOLTAGE. Operating voltage is always lower than the Abs Max and please don't push the specs, this isn't a car you can "soup up" or CPU you can overclock. Please read the FAQ.

Ground the solar panel frames and use metal conduit for wiring. Recommended additional safety devices you can add are a Lightning Protector, and at higher operating volts over 80V, a DC Ground Fault detector and a DC Series Arc Fault detector (when they become readily available and reliable).


See meter readings, amps and volts in this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPtVGMifewM

Off grid hot water configuration works well with low use and low wattage in this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_LStfeC3lI

[ Also see the Hybrid Controller FAQ page ]

[ Other heating elements tests page ]

[ See our other SOLAR PRODUCTS on eBay! ]
Contact us for special situations or custom designs.

As an option, you could keep the upper grid powered element from coming on during the day using a simple electrical timer available at Home Depot or Lowes. This would help keep the upper element off and let the solar panels to do their thing in the daytime, saving even more on your power bill. Also helps if you have high Time Of Use TOU tiered power pricing.

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• We have a reasonable but limited warranty. We test every device carefully for proper operation. If a device is somehow DOA (defective on arrival) or damaged in shipping, you must contact us within 7 business days from the delivered date for a RMA number. We offer repairs at a reasonable charge for other problems. Buyer pays shipping both ways for any returns, exchanges, replacements or repairs, This is a DIY installed electronic device in kit form needing other items to be a complete system and connected by the end user so there are absolutely no refunds for buyer's remorse, misuse, user damage, reverse connection, lightning strikes, water damage, or acts of god, but repairs are available as stated above. All returns are subject to incoming inspection and testing and a 15% restocking fee applies. Original shipping is never refunded in any case. Please understand our Policies and Terms of Sale as described on our eBay description ad as all buyers agree to these terms, conditions and policies when bidding or purchasing.

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