Operating temperatures & duty
Typical plateaux: 43°C, 50°C, 58°C
Charge sources: heat pumps, boilers, resistive elements, solar
PV Duty: daily cycling on DHW draw and comfort set points; off-peak charge and on demand discharge
Where it helps
- Takes up less space and loses less heat than traditional hot water cylinders, thanks to high energy density PCM storage.
- Shifts energy use by charging off-peak and delivering hot water when it’s needed most.
- Supports heat pumps with steady thermal output, even as demand changes.
- Makes better use of solar PV by storing excess daytime energy for later hot water use.
| Target temperatures | Best-fit PCM | Typical charge sources |
|---|---|---|
| ~43 °C | P43 (salt hydrate) |
|
| 50 °C | P50 (salt hydrate) |
|
| 58 °C | P58 (salt hydrate; variants P58o, P58e, no-nucleator) |
|
How do I pick the right plateau?
Select a PCM with a tight melting/freezing temperature range that matches your critical process tolerance, and always include a safety margin of at least 10-20% extra mass to account for real-world inefficiencies and potential peak loads. We can provide a quick PCM vs glycol system comparison.
Any safety or handling concerns?
Salt hydrates & clathrates are non-flammable. Organics are combustible and clearly labelled.