An increasing number of homeowners want to live in smart and sustainable spaces, generating much of their own power from renewable sources. My Energy Partner (MEP) from Munich, selling PV (photovoltaic) systems and energy storage solutions in Germany, benefits from this development. By supplying REACT 2 solar inverter and energy storage solution, ABB contributes fundamentally to MEP’s business success.
Reducing energy costs and contributing to a sustainable future – two reasons for the Küffner family from Ingelfingen, Germany, to invest in PV installations. Since 2016, the energy needs of all six family members is covered by their solar energy system, which has been supplied by MEP, producing a power output of 8.5 kWp. But still they seek more.
“Our PV system produces most of our energy during times we don’t need it. We would like to improve our energy self-sufficiency and optimize our solar energy consumption by adding energy storage and an integrated energy management system,” explains Manuel Küffner.
ABB’s REACT 2 enables MEP to deliver an easy to install and integrated system comprising an inverter as well as a high-voltage lithium ion battery with 200V. The battery’s storage capacity can grow with the home owner’s energy needs and can be expanded from 4 to 12 kWh. Thanks to the plug and play connectors between inverter and battery, REACT 2 can be installed easily for new systems or used to retrofit existing ones.
As demand for smarter energy solutions continues to grow, REACT 2 takes advantage of ABB’s cloud-based, industry-leading portfolio of digital solutions, ABB Ability™, to provide home owners with complete control over their solar power usage.
Performance data, including power generation and consumption rates can be monitored easily using the smart energy management system, via an App, even when the Küffner family is on the road. ABB’s integrated monitoring platform Aurora Vision notifies the family of possible interruptions immediately, and MEP can easily carry out remote monitoring or maintenance. On-site support can be avoided in many cases, which means further cost reductions for the Küffners.
Rise of prosumers increases demand for energy storage solutions
Energy storage is becoming more and more attractive for home owners. In addition to offering a high level of independence from the grid, the benefits include significant savings on the electricity bills and reduction of CO2-emissions.
Decreasing prices for PV systems, new storage solutions and smart financing models make solar energy a simple and economically attractive solution to household power needs. ABB has been at the forefront of inverter and storage technology from the outset and MEP has become one of its fastest growing partners in Germany.
Smart Home functionalities included
Based on good experience, ABB has become MEP’s preferred supplier for storage solutions. REACT 2 fits perfectly with MEP’s offering and is compatible with the ABB-free@home® smart home control technology. Based on the combination of REACT 2 and ABB-free@home®, home owners can make the best use of the electricity generated by their photovoltaic system, avoiding consumption peaks by spreading the electricity load and keeping usage within the capacity of the energy harnessed.
REACT 2 transfers the information on solar energy, home consumption and battery status over a wireless network to the ABB-free@home system access point, which can control other ABB-free@home devices including heating, lighting, and music.
“Thanks to ABB’s REACT 2 we can offer our customers the complete solution, including inverter and battery storage with the additional option of smart energy management and smart home functionalities,” says Ralph Unglauben, Head of Product and Project Management at MEP.
