A 200 ℓ integrated heat pump (IHP) geyser, developed by alternative and renewable power solutions company Power4Less, uses 600 W of power an hour. It uses nano heat pumping technology and uses only 1.78 kWh/d of power, compared with 20 kWh/d for conventional electric geysers.

The IHP geyser, which was officially launched on May 15, is free standing, does not need a drip tray and can be installed where it is most suitable in a residence or business.

“The break-even point for the IHP geyser is one to two years and users can enjoy the same hot water they would normally for 600 W of power with monthly savings of R2 200,” said financial services firm Nedbank process portfolio manager Dean Harvey.

Nedbank is the financing partner and also supports the rent-to-own and hot-water-as-a-service offerings. Nedbank subsidiary Eqstra uses its fleet management expertise to provide management and maintenance services for IHP geysers at businesses and residences.

Professional association the Institute of Plumbing South Africa provides a network of certified plumbers who will carry out installations, while hardware retailer Builders will stock the geysers.

“A conventional geyser would typically cost R29 000 a year to heat water twice a day and to maintain the temperature. The IHP geyser costs only R2 600 a year and operates continuously,” said Power4Less CEO Nafisa Fareed.

New technology sometimes faces a barrier to adoption and Nedbank has designed financial tools to make this geyser accessible at scale, she added.

“A user who buys the [200 ℓ] IHP geyser can recoup the costs in 14 to 18 months while saving 7 t/y of CO₂-equivalent emissions per unit.

“This reduces waste and improves efficiency for hot water heating,” she said.

The IHP geyser comes with a smartphone application that users can use to manage it remotely and automate its operation.

Meanwhile, the reduction in power needed to heat water reduces the demand on the electricity grid by 2.4 kW an hour, for a 150 ℓ geyser, to 3.4 kW an hour for a 200 ℓ geyser.

Therefore, the partners have set a goal to offset 29 MW of demand on the electricity grid by installing 10 000 of the IHP geysers, Fareed said.

IHP GEYSER
The IHP geyser uses a 10 A power supply, is certified to the IP68 outdoor waterproofing standard and is free standing. It is also South African National Standard 151 Fixed Electric Storage Water Heaters-compliant and has a ten-year warranty.

The heat pump uses a fan to move air from the surroundings across the evaporator containing a compressed refrigerant. This absorbs heat, changing into a gas and is then moved through the condenser in which the heat is transferred to the water.

The refrigerant changes back to a liquid and is pumped back to the evaporator. Hot water is progressively heated until it exits into the tank at the top of the system, an animated demonstration video played at the launch showed.

Overcoming high electricity costs and supply instability often requires businesses and residences to install renewable systems, which have high capital costs, said Harvey.

However, with water heating demand accounting for a significant amount of household energy use, the IHP can provide immediate relief by reducing water heating expenses and pays itself back quickly.

“Households need smarter solutions, which are innovative and effective products within an ecosystem that supports their rapid adoption and use,” he said.