Table of contents:

1. Who is the fothermo system for?
2. The problem with a "normal" photovoltaic system and why it is not economically viable for all households.
3. The big advantage of the fothermo system - 90 percent lower investment costs.
4. Short payback period of 3 to 5 years.
5. Recommended next steps.

Who is the fothermo system for?

The fothermo photovoltaic system has been specially developed for households with low annual electricity consumption. These are usually 1 to 3 person households without their own heat pump or electric car. The annual electricity requirement is between 1,000 kWh and 3,000 kWh. The resulting electricity costs are therefore around €400 to €1,000 per year.

The problem with a "normal" photovoltaic system and why it is not economically viable for all households:

• High investment costs: If you decide to install a classic/large photovoltaic system on your own roof, the initial investment costs for an average 10 kWp system can quickly reach €10,000 or more. The reason for this is the complex installation of all system components. This involves extensive intervention in the house's electrical system (electricity meter, fuse and power distribution box, wiring, etc.). Furthermore, due to the complexity and the high system voltage, the system must be installed and commissioned by an electrician. This drives up the costs of the entire photovoltaic system.
• Long payback period: The problem here is that the payback period for such a system is 10 to 20 years. The reason for this is the low electricity costs of €400 to €1,000 per year. This already assumes that 100% of the annual electricity consumption is covered by the photovoltaic system. However, this is unrealistic because the sun does not shine at night to produce electricity. Optionally, the photovoltaic system could be expanded to include a large electrical battery storage unit. However, this would incur additional costs.
• Over-dimensioning : The photovoltaic system just described with a size of 10 kWp would also be significantly over-dimensioned for a household with a low electricity requirement of 1,000 kWh to 3,000 kWh per year. The photovoltaic system will generate around 10,000 kWh of electricity per year. The maximum electrical consumption of the household is, however, significantly lower. This means that at least 70% to 90% of the electricity generated is fed into the public grid. The feed-in tariff paid by law for this electricity is very low or will be completely abolished in the future.

The big advantage of the fothermo system - 90 percent lower investment costs:

There are several reasons for this:

• No over-dimensioning: You usually install 2 to 6 photovoltaic modules with a total output of between 800 W and 3,000 W. These photovoltaic modules generate around 800 kWh to 3,000 kWh of electricity per year. Most of the electricity goes into hot water preparation. The hot water serves as a large and very cost-effective energy storage device. Excess electricity can optionally be fed into your own home power grid via the fothermo switching device using an 800 W balcony power plant inverter to further reduce electricity costs.
• Low installation costs: The high costs for the electrician/installer are eliminated. The entire fothermo system operates at protective extra-low voltage. The voltage is less than 60 V and therefore completely safe. Since the system can be easily plugged together using photovoltaic plugs, installation is self-explanatory and can be completed quickly.
• No expensive inverters, electricity meters or communication units: The fothermo system uses the direct current from the photovoltaic modules directly to generate hot water. An inverter is not required for this. There is also no need to intervene in the house's existing electrical installation. Communication between all system components is also not necessary, as the photovoltaic modules are connected directly to the fothermo products.

Short payback period of 3 to 5 years:

Due to the low investment costs of the fothermo system and the high self-consumption of the self-generated electricity, the "small" fothermo photovoltaic system pays for itself after just a few years, even in households with low electricity consumption.

Recommended next steps:

1. Analyze energy requirements: Determine your household's annual electricity requirements. How many people live in your household? Do you use a heat pump or an electric car? Do you have a high or low electricity consumption?
2. Obtain offers: Check the investment costs of a "large" photovoltaic system and a "small" fothermo photovoltaic system and calculate the payback period.
3. Construction and commissioning: Implement your preferred solution and become more independent from rising energy prices in the long term.