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Hybrid solar panels to replace an oil furnace – Valais (CH)
The Bernard family has been familiar with RE for 20 years already, when they moved into a new house, beautiful but far from being passive in terms of energy.
The Swiss are concerned about renewable energy
To get closer to this ideal, they started by insulating the house well, notably by installing triple glazing. They then replaced their oil furnace with a gas furnace. The last step was to equip themselves with solar panels so that they would no longer consume energy but rather produce it! It was our DualSun 2 in 1 solution that finally convinced them.
Mr Bernard is a passionate man who combines several activities. A doctor and head of department all week long, he is also the editor of a scientific journal. He really cares about everything that surrounds him, be it patients or the planet, and that’s why he liked our 2 in 1 solar concept.
With his wife and 5 children, Mr. Bernard has been living in this house, built 20 years earlier, since 1986. The first thing he did in 1986 was to change the oil heating system, which he considered too polluting with gas. In addition to various remediation work, Mr. Bernard took care of the insulation of his house by installing triple glazing and paying for a thermography to see if there were any thermal leaks!
With DualSun he wants to do without his boiler as much as possible.
Several reasons led Mr. Bernard to choose solar energy. First of all, there is the ecological dimension with the will to produce energy instead of consuming it. There is also a security dimension, he wanted to diversify his energy sources so as not to depend only on gas (in case of power cuts, soaring prices, etc.). Mr. Bernard had initially thought of conventional photovoltaic solar panels, but after meeting with his installer, he was quickly seduced by the DualSun innovation that had been presented to him. The increase in yield and the combination of hot water + electricity is a solution that he obviously found advantageous. The fact of talking about it around him and hearing positive echoes finished to convince him.
Mr. Bernard’s main objective is to be able to stop his gas boiler as long as possible and to make hot water only with solar energy. The little extra on this installation concerns the jacuzzi which has been connected to the panels. The jacuzzi heats between 10 am and 5 pm, when the panels produce the most. The electricity produced will be self-consumed and the surplus reinjected.
The installation was completed at the beginning of autumn 2015, it will be necessary to wait for the return of spring so that he can do without his boiler completely. In the meantime, his gas boiler makes up the difference and his electricity is at his disposal!
Testimony of Mr. Messere, installer in Switzerland
Fabio Messere is an installer in Switzerland. Before joining the Coutaz company, he worked at the Colombey refinery, which closed down.
He got to know DualSun during a product presentation organized a few weeks earlier to which he had been invited. With Mr. Bernard’s project, it was the first time he had installed DualSun panels and the result was very positive. On this installation things were seen in a big way as the panels were delivered with a crane truck! Then everything was done easily, because the big advantage with DualSun is that the panels are pre-assembled, you only have to connect them together and the quick connectors make it possible to go faster!
What do you think of the DualSun solution?
“You heat your water and at the same time you increase the efficiency of the panels, I think it’s a great idea. In the future, I would recommend DualSun to friends and future customers because I am comfortable with the reliability of the installation and the guarantees. »
In your opinion, why develop solar energy?
“Because it’s the future! There is a misconception that there are high maintenance costs, but this is not true. The grey energy it took to create a PV panel is produced by the panel in 3-4 years, whereas the life span of the panels is 20-25 years! »
20 years from now, what vision do you have of the sun?
“In 20 years, solar energy will be part of people’s habits. Solar panels are more and more interesting economically. Today people still find it expensive, but the more economically interesting it will be and the more it will become more democratic. In addition, technically the panels will improve even more. »
First thing that comes to mind when you hear “2-in-1”?
“Mixed-signal panels. We have the same surface area for thermal and electrical generation. And the main advantage is that we can produce hot water while improving electrical efficiency. Space saving, electrical production, improved efficiency, hot water production, it’s more than 2-in-1! »
Technical Information
| Characteristics | Family of 7 people |
| Application | Domestic hot water |
| Number of solar panels | 10 DualSun hybrid panels + 26 DualSun photovoltaic panels |
| Power output | 9kWp + 3,74kWth |
| Roof installation | Onroof mounting (K2 system) |
| Thermal system | 500L hot water tank with gas boiler as booster (Viessmann) |
| Photovoltaic system | Self-consumption of electricity generated |
| Installation date | 2015 |
