German startup offers app to maximize use of solar power surplus in homes

From pv magazine Germany

German startup Clever-PV has developed an app that could become an alternative to classic energy management systems.

The Bavarian company said that the new app was originally developed as a novel solution for charging electric cars with excess electricity from photovoltaic systems and that it can now be used as a manufacturer-independent technology to synchronize photovoltaic systems, charging stations, heat pumps, heating rods and other smart devices via an Internet connection.

The app can be downloaded free of charge from the relevant stores for iPhones and Android.

According to Clever-PV, no additional hardware is required such as expensive control boxes or gateways. The energy management is set up directly on the mobile phone and the connected consumer devices would then be optimized depending on the generation of the rooftop PV system or the photovoltaic balcony modules.

Users could save several hundred euros a year and also reduce their CO2 footprint, the company claims, noting that the app was developed in close cooperation with the first test users, and that it now has more than 10,000 registered users already.

“We are already working on the development of additional functions and the integration of further devices,” explained Danny Klose, managing director of Clever-PV. “We originally developed Clever-PV for ourselves. Photovoltaic surplus charging is normally only possible with expensive hardware. With our solution, customers have more freedom in selecting their devices and don't need an installer to set it up.”