Home energy management company Plentify has announced a strategic partnership with solar and electrical solutions distributor Herholdts to launch SolarBot, an intelligent controller for home solar and battery systems.
“Herholdts is a pioneer in the solar and electrical distribution sector in South Africa, and we are thrilled to partner with an industry icon.” says Kailas Nair, co-founder and chief growth officer at Plentify.
The product, which improves the performance of solar systems, has come at the perfect time for both solar installers who want to reinvigorate post-load shedding sales, and existing solar owners who want to get the most from their existing systems.
“As many solar owners are finding out, after interrogating their solar performance with more scrutiny with load shedding receding, it really matters how effectively you use your solar system,” says Jon Kornik, CEO of Plentify. “You could have 50 panels on your roof in the middle of a summer’s day, but if that energy has nowhere to go – if your battery is full and home demand low with no grid exports – it will not produce.”
This is the problem that SolarBot was built to solve. It analyses weather patterns, load shedding schedules and customer demand to make smarter decisions on when to charge and discharge the battery to maximise savings, while still giving homeowners backup power when they need it.
SolarBot also works with HotBot, an intelligent geyser controller, that trains the geyser to use less energy, and to favour solar over the grid.
Together, SolarBot and HotBot, get solar systems to produce more energy and help homeowners maximise the return on their solar investment.
Homeowners can monitor and control their energy systems via the Plentify App, which offers real-time insights into energy consumption.
For installers, the soon-to-launch Plentify Platform will provide fleet monitoring and control from a single, intuitive dashboard, giving them the data and insights needed to offer greater value to their customers.