Efficient energy generation and economical consumption with Smart Chap from Sharp
Smart Chap: A very apt name indeed for the intelligent energy manager from Sharp. It gives you independence from increasing energy prices – thanks to solar power and innovative battery solutions for maximum self-sufficiency. It also ensures you consume as little energy as possible managing your electric household appliances. You benefit as you alone decide what you wish to do with your energy and when.
More planning reliability and security for the future
Save hard cash thanks to cost-effective energy generation and reduced energy consumption. As you can keep an eye on your energy costs every day – rather than when you get your electricity bill. This gives you a high degree of planning reliability and makes you independent from the tariffs set by your energy provider. Apart from that, of course, you actively contribute to protecting the environment. With Smart Chap, you are also ideally equipped for the future. Much like a smartphone, you can add extra applications at any time.
For new and existing solar panels
Smart Chap is suitable for any home that has existing photovoltaic panels as well as for new installations. Smart Chap ideally integrates into any environment and easily connects to your home distribution system. It's smart, intelligent and easy.
Maximum independence from the energy grid
Achieve up to 99% self-sufficiency on sunny days
The possibilities for self-sufficiency with solar energy were limited for a long time: more energy was produced during the day than necessary and no solar energy was available at night.
Previously: up to 30%
Due to the lack of suitable energy storage, the share of solar power in total energy only amounted to up to 30%.
With storage: up to 80%
The introduction of innovative storage solutions such as the Sharp battery means the share of own solar power can now reach an annual average of up to 80%: The energy generated during the day is stored and can then be used at any time of the day, including at night. On sunny days you can make yourself almost completely independent with a self-sufficiency rate of up to 99%.
Thanks to the smart energy manager from Sharp, appliances can be used specifically during sunlight hours. This achieves greater independence than conventional battery systems.
Real independence with Smart Chap
Some competitors offer 100% independence through pool solutions. Although these solutions make consumers independent from conventional energy providers, they create a new dependency on fixed contributions.
Maximum self-sufficiency with Smart Chap
Solar energy use over the course of a day
Enter a smart future
Profitable outlook for your photovoltaic system
Seize every opportunity with Smart Chap
In the past those who have purchased a photovoltaic system primarily sought to make profit with their solar power and sell it back to the grid for a high feed-in rate. However, this model has only had limited success due to the continuous decline in feed-in rates.
This all changes with Smart Chap. The smart energy manager looks at your energy household in its entirety: from the generation of solar energy and its storage, through to consumption and the purchase and sale of your energy.
Avoid energy price hikes
Purchasing solar panels, and the associated generation of free solar power, has become cheaper than ever, as the prices for solar modules have been falling continuously. Although feed-in rates have been in decline, new storage technologies now make it possible to save solar energy for the night and become virtually independent from the public power grid.
Smart Chap from Sharp also ensures the solar energy collected is used appropriately and efficiently in your household.
Save from year to year with Smart Chap
Example calculation for a 4 person household
(4,500 kWh of energy consumption per year)
Benefit from participating in the energy market
New and profitable opportunities are also opening up in the future through active participation in the energy market and the purposeful purchase and sale of energy.
More features for monitoring, analyzing and controlling
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Everything in control at all times
Monitor energy flows in the home using the app
The Smart Chap app for your PC, smartphone or tablet allows you to see how much energy is currently being generated by your solar panel, how charged the battery is and how much energy is being consumed in the home.
Your power consumption and energy balance at a glance
You can see how much of your own energy is consumed at which time of the day, how independent you are from the energy provider and how this share (degree of self-sufficiency) can be further increased. The Smart Chap app from Sharp clearly shows your running energy balance at a glance.
And it's so easy:
Conveniently access your personal energy manager using your web browser. An app is also available for Android and iOS devices. -
Smart battery management
Flexible battery charging and discharging puts your energy account into positive territory
Your energy account will always consist of your own solar energy and power from the grid. The battery opens up completely new possibilities for you to optimise your energy household. In the case of other systems, collected solar energy is generally stored in the battery. The energy manager from Sharp offers you the option of feeding the generated energy into the public grid and to receive a fee for doing so.
Exclusive from Sharp
The energy manager allows you to set times when you want to limit or stop the battery from discharging or charging.Advantage 1: Protect the battery while on holiday
By limiting the charging rate (SOC) to 50–70% your battery will work at an optimum level during your absence (i.e. a period of lower consumption). This prevents low charge levels.
Advantage 2: Use solar energy at the best time
If more expensive energy tariffs are charged at certain times, you can manage when your energy is supplied from the battery and thereby save money.
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Analyse and optimise energy use at all times
Detect energy guzzlers with appliance analysis
Smart Chap looks at your energy household in its entirety: from energy generation through to the energy consumed by electrical appliances in the home.
The Smart Chap system software will also offer a feature for recognising electrical appliances and itemising energy use. This means all relevant appliances can be identified for greater transparency regarding your energy consumption. Energy guzzlers can quickly be detected and replaced by more efficient appliances.
The appliances depicted in the graph below currently have the highest energy consumption in the average household. However, every household is different. There is also an increasing number of new appliances such as electric vehicles.To begin with, the energy profiles of individual appliances will be visible.
The aim is to depict all relevant appliances for the long term. -
Appliance management (the smart home)
Manage the times when electrical appliances are used
Everyone is talking about the smart home, but what exactly does it mean? The smart home refers to a networked home which seeks to increase quality of living while using energy as efficiently as possible. In the case of Smart Chap, for example, a special focus lies on private consumption. In order to use as much solar energy as possible, it makes sense to activate electrical appliances when the sun is shining.
And it's so easy:
There are several ways to control appliances:
Smart plugs
The management of an appliance can be regulated using a smart plug, for instance, which is connected between the power socket and electrical appliances. Examples include:- stand-by appliances (TV, Hifi, PC) switching on a pool pump
- lawnmower battery
- lighting
- pond / pool pump
Switchable relay
A second option is provided by a relay that is installed in the domestic junction box and connected to the appliance directly. Examples include:- heater
- lighting
Switch on or load devices when the sun shines
Examples:
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Warm shower for free
Operating a domestic water heat pump with solar energy
How does it work?
Heat generation for heating and hot water typically represents the largest consumer of energy in the home. A heat pump makes use of environmental heat; with the help of Smart Chap you will know when there is surplus solar energy that can be used for your heat pump.
What does Sharp provide?
Smart Chap energy manager + extension, battery kit, solar kitWhy is it worthwhile – for you and the environment?
If you use a domestic hot water heat pump, you can run it from April to October entirely from free solar energy. And this pays off several times over: you can generate 3–4 kWh of heat from 1 kWh of electrical solar energy, while reducing your gas or oil consumption at the same time. -
Tank up on the sun
Charging an electric vehicle with solar energy
How does it work?
In future, it will be possible to use the Sharp energy manager to define the conditions for charging an electric vehicle. This way, you will be able to set whether the vehicle should only be charged during the day, for instance, when there is sufficient solar energy available. In order to ensure the vehicle is also ready for use in poor weather with less solar energy available, a minimum charge level can be selected with the help of schedules. Charging can also be conveniently activated or deactivated manually on the vehicle. The charging column is connected to the energy manager for this purpose.
Of course, this shall work for electric cars as well as electric motorcycles and electric bicycles.
What does Sharp provide?
Smart Chap energy manager, battery kit and solar kit
What else is required?
Compatible charging stations: MENNEKES (further stations are being tested) -
Wash ecologically
Operation of domestic appliances with solar energy
How does it work?
All domestic appliances with app-control can be managed to maximise consumption of solar energy. Washing machines, dryers and dishwashers are particularly well-suited to this.The appliances can be filled in advance with laundry or dishes and activated as soon as there is surplus solar energy available. Since these appliances have a high energy consumption, this allows you to benefit from particularly substantial savings:
- washing machine: 1–2.5 kWh per use
- dishwasher: 0.5–2.5 kWh per use
- dryer: 1.5–2.5 kWh per use
What does Sharp provide?
Smart Chap energy manager, battery kit and solar kit
What else is required?
Household appliance with app-control -
Smart water pumping
Control appliances via smart plugs
How does it work?
With a smart plug you can control all devices that are activated immediately when power is supplied. The smart plug is therefore inserted between the socket and the electrical appliance. When the sun shines it is e.g. ideal to operate the pond or pool pumo with solar energy. But you may just as well turn on your floor lamp when you are not at home.
What does Sharp provide?
Smart Chap energy manager, battery kit and solar kitWhat else is required?
Pond or pool pump, smart plug (AeoTec Smart Switch 6)
Modular solution for your individual needs
Assured quality
Approved by VDE
Smart Chap is a modular system that can be flexibly configured. The smooth interaction of the individual components has been confirmed by the testing and certification institute of the VDE (Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik e.V. [Association of Electrical Engineering, Electronics
and Information Technology]).
1. Smart Chap energy manager
The Smart Chap energy manager is the centrepiece and central control unit of the system. It is installed into your domestic junction box or a separate pre-assembled control cabinet.
2. Battery kit
The battery kit comprises a lithium-ion battery (6.8 kWh, net 5.4 kWh battery capacity) and a battery inverter. The battery capacity can be expanded if necessary.
3. Solar kit
If you do not yet own a photovoltaic system, a solar kit from Sharp is the perfect addition to smart and ecological energy generation. It is also ideally optimised for the other components. It includes a photovoltaic inverter and Sharp solar modules.
Sharp has already been developing and producing photovoltaic modules for 55 years. The modules meet the highest quality standards and feature a robust product design. Depending on the application, you can choose from a range of modules as desired. For example, a completely black design module or our efficient, high-performance module with 300 W and a module efficiency of 18.3%.
4. Additional kits
- Smart plug kit
- Heat pump kit
- E-mobility kit
- Emergency power kit
(in development)
Downloads
Ideally equipped for the future
The energy market is rapidly changing, as are the framework conditions for energy management systems. When developing Smart Chap, we not only thought about the needs of today, but also those of the future in particular. We, therefore, equipped the system with maximum flexibility, meaning you will always keep pace with market developments.
Open platform approach
The open platform approach makes the system flexible for further optimisation and the integration of additional hardware. Only additional appliance drivers from Sharp are programmed and the system's standard interfaces undergo continuous expansion.
Increasing battery capacity
Battery capacity can be increased flexibly as needed. Up to 6 batteries with a capacity of 5.4 kWh each can be connected.
Compatible with Smart Meter Gateway
An additional module allows Smart Chap to be upgraded to a Smart Meter Gateway, thereby preparing it for the smart meter roll-out planned in Europe.
Free firmware updates
The Smart Chap app is kept continually up to speed with free, automated firmware updates.
All the benefits at a glance
- Free and ecological energy generation
- Maximum self-sufficiency with solar power and a high degree of independence from the public grid
- Always have a full overview using the app – on PC, smartphone or tablet
- Reduce your energy consumption
- Quality 'Made in Germany'
- High-grade hardware components and high compatibility
- Personally contribute to the energy revolution
- Heat domestic water with solar energy
- High degree of planning reliability
- Compatible with Smart Meter Gateway
- Increase quality of housing and living
- Emergency energy supply possible in case of grid failure
Five steps for your Smart Chap solution
1. Complete online form
2. Free advice and customized offer
3. Enter the contract
4. Installation by experts
5. Enjoy solar energy
Do you have any questions?
Free advice and quote for your solar solution: