To fully embrace solar technology, it is simply not enough to install a solar system and stop there. As our lives evolve, to adequately adjust living to successfully exist within an always-on environment, solar installations are just the first step, albeit a critical one. Technology company Versofy SOLAR, who made its entry into the South African market via the solar sector, says that consumers need to look beyond solar when planning their alternate energy approach, recognising that smart technology, and the Internet of Things (IoT), in the home, is where the future of solar is headed.
The Internet of Things is the communication between a network of interoperable devices that can work with each other, as a big information system. According to Ross Mains-Sheard, Co-Founder and CEO of Versofy SOLAR, consumers need to become comfortable with IoT and the critical role it plays in managing the energy generated by solar panels.
“The use of IoT technology can assist in increasing overall household efficiencies, optimising the consumption of resources as well as eliminating waste and making the running of a home as cost effective as possible. Versofy’s aim is to bring these improvements into people’s homes to benefit the environment as well as household budgets,” says Mains-Sheard.
He says that managing a home’s power usage through smart technology is only part of a trend that has seen the Internet of Things increasingly drive and control home appliances and devices remotely. “Using this technology to manage our solar systems is just one step in the process to equip our homes to manage the planet’s, and our own resources better.”
The company has developed their Versofy HOME app, which uses IoT technology and is putting control of the generation, storage and consumption of solar power into the hands of its customers: “For us, it is not about selling panels, rather it is about building a community of solar-empowered consumers that are able to benefit from all that solar technology has to offer.” Going beyond a simple solar installation, he says that Versofy’s systems manage electricity consumption in the home, taking advantage of daylight hours and diverting power usage for optimum performance. The smart system, together with IoT devices, will shift electricity loads when batteries are reaching capacity. Once a battery is full, any power generated by panels is redundant and effectively wasted and so incorporating this kind of technology into the home maximises the utility and cost effectiveness of the system.
Smart technology means that Versofy’s smart solar system considers periods of loadshedding, recognises usage patterns and weather conditions, and can manage inflow and output of electricity accordingly.
“Versofy’s HOME app is the foundation on which other technologies will be integrated in the future, including managing water and related devices such as heat pumps, pool pumps and geysers,” says Mains-Sheard. “We are not just a solar company, rather we are a technology focused, alternate energy company committed to growing a local community of solar-powered consumers.”
He says that intelligent and connected living spaces using IoT are the future for environmentally and budget conscious homeowners. Monitoring and controlling heating and lighting systems, home security, smart entertainment and even environmental factors such as humidity and air quality, using technology via a centralised app, helps people better manage their consumption of the world’s natural resources and to run a home as efficiently and cost effectively as possible, and this starts with a fully integrated solar system.
