Patent ID: 11859869
Assignee: RHEEM MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  G  H  Y | IPC F  G  H

Claim 0:
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by at least one processor of a control system of a water heater, a current water temperature from the water heater;
determining, by the at least one processor, that the current water temperature is less than a first PV heat point that is greater than a normal lower threshold heat point;
in response to the current water temperature being less than the first PV heat point, calculating, by the at least one processor, a required amount of energy to increase a temperature of the water from the current water temperature to a set point temperature greater than the first PV heat point;
determining, by the at least one processor, that the required amount of the energy is greater than an amount of available PV energy in a PV system at a first time;
in response to the required amount of the energy being greater than the amount of the available PV energy at the first time, determining, by the at least one processor, that the current water temperature is less than or equal to the normal lower threshold heat point;
in response to the current water temperature being less than or equal to the normal lower threshold heat point, determining, by the at least one processor, that the amount of the available PV energy is greater than or equal to the required amount of the energy at a second time; and
in response to the amount of the available PV energy being greater than or equal to the required amount of the energy at the second time, setting, by the at least one processor, a switch of the control system to transfer PV energy from the PV system to a heating device of the water heater, until the current water temperature is greater than or equal to the set point temperature, and to not transfer energy from a utility system to the heating device.