marlec iBoost Plus Buddy Wireless Monitor and Remote Control Instruction Manual
- June 13, 2024
- marlec
Table of Contents
marlec iBoost Plus Buddy Wireless Monitor and Remote Control
Product Information
The Solar iBoost+ is a device designed to optimize the usage of solar energy
generated by solar panels. It works by diverting excess energy to heat water,
thereby reducing the reliance on traditional energy sources. For more
information about how Solar iBoost+ works, visit
www.solariboost.co.uk.
Technical support is available for qualified installers and electricians. For assistance, contact +44 (0)1536 447866. The Marlec Engineering Co. Ltd warranty covers all defects in parts and workmanship for 24 months from the date of purchase. Defective parts must be promptly reported to the seller and returned with valid proof of purchase. The warranty does not cover improper installation, unauthorized service, use of unauthorized components, owner neglect, misuse, or natural disasters. Ancillary equipment not supplied by the manufacturer is also not covered. For warranty claims, contact Marlec Engineering Company Limited. The Marlec Engineering Co. Ltd reserves the right to change the specification of its models at any time in its continuous effort to improve product quality and design. For disposal of the product at the end of its useful life, please recycle it where facilities exist. Check with your local authority or retailer for recycling advice in your area.
Product Usage Instructions
Programming
The programming function allows you to:
- Set the date and time of the clock for the Solar iBoost+
- Program the price of your electricity supply to calculate instant savings
- Set the backlight operation
To program the Solar iBoost+ using the Buddy device:
- Press and hold button A for 3 seconds. The first item in the sequence will be shown.
- The first digit will become active and flash. Press button B to increase the value until the desired digit is reached.
- Press button A once to confirm and move on to the next item.
- Repeat step 2 for each digit in the sequence, pressing button A to confirm and move on.
Set Tariff PPU
To allow the Buddy to calculate instant savings, you need to program the
cost of your daytime energy supply. Enter the price of energy as provided on
your utility bill, in pence per unit or pence per kWh.
Set Time
To set the date and time of the clock for the Solar iBoost+, enter the desired
time in a 24-hour format (HH: MM) followed by the date in DD/MM/YY format.
Technical Specifications
- DC Input Voltage 5Vdc 0.2A USB-C
- Operating Temperature Range: 0 to 40°C
- Operating Radio Frequency 868.3 MHz
- Radio Range 1 to 30m indoors (dependent on construction and local conditions)
- Approvals: EN 62368-1, EN 301 489-3, EN 300 220
- Dimensions: 115 x 66 x 23 mm (excluding stand)
Programming
The programming function allows:
- Setting the date and time of the clock for the Solar iBoost+
- Programming the price of your electricity supply to provide a calculation of instant savings.
- Setting the backlight operation.
The Buddy is programmed using push buttons A and B. To program:
- Press and hold button A for 3 seconds. The first item in the sequence below is shown.
- The first digit becomes active and flashes. Press button B, each press adds 1 to the value until the digit required is reached.
- Press button A once to confirm and move on. Repeat 2, press A to confirm, and move on.
To allow the Buddy to calculate instant savings, the cost of your energy supply must be programmed. Enter the price of daytime energy as provided on your utility bill. The price is entered as pence per unit or pence per kWh.
Set Backlight
Sets the internal clock of the Solar iBoost+. Set the current date and time in
24hr mode. Sets the backlight operation. Set the value to 1 for always on
(default) or 0 to time out 1 minute after any button press.
Traffic Light Energy System
A simple color indicator illuminated from the bottom of the Buddy informs you
of the status of your energy supply, whether exporting due to excess
generation, importing from the grid or around neutral.
The indicator glows green when more than 300W of generation is being exported. Appliances may be switched on to make use of this energy. The eco-gauge shows how much energy is available. The indicator glows red when importing more than 300W from the grid The indicator glows amber when the overall household consumption is around neutral. When the Solar iBoost+ is operating, available generation will be diverted to the immersion heater usually resulting in a neutral household consumption.
Remote Boost
The Buddy can remotely control the manual Boost of your Solar iBoost+. During
manual boost, full power is switched to the immersion heater for the period of
time selected on the Buddy.
- Press the Boost button, each press of the Boost button adds 15 minutes to the boost time up to a maximum of 2 hours. The amount of time remaining is shown on the display.
- To cancel the boost simply press the Boost button repeatedly until ‘Manual Boost OFF’ is shown.
Note that energy will be imported from the grid if you have insufficient solar generation during a manual boost.
The iBoost+ Buddy…
Check what you have received:
Assembly
Before use, the Buddy must be assembled onto its stand and the USB connector plugged into the back of the unit.
- Fit the USB cable into the socket in the back of the Buddy.
- Push the stand into the Buddy with the USB cable routing out through the slot and secure it in place using the fixing screw supplied.
- The USB cable supplied requires a standard USB Type A power adapter (not supplied).
Savings History and Timed Boost Season Selection
Historic savings information from your Solar iBoost+ can be viewed on your
Buddy. Press the Display button to cycle through the following displays:
- Present days energy is diverted into the immersion heater.
- The previous day’s energy was diverted into the immersion heater.
- Total energy diverted into the immersion heater in the past 7 days.
- Total energy diverted into the immersion heater in the past 28 days.
- The total value of energy diverted into the immersion heater since Solar iBoost+ was installed.
- Current time and date in 24hr format.
- Timed Boost Season. This can be changed remotely by pressing button A.
- Each press of the A button will change the setting between Summer, Winter, and Boost OFF selections.
Solar iBoost+ Remote Readings
The Buddy provides information remotely from your Solar iBoost+ displaying the status of your water heating. Solar iBoost+ is diverting energy to the hot water tank. The instant value of the energy being diverted is shown. There is no excess generation for the Solar iBoost+ to divert to the hot water tank. The Solar iBoost+ is attempting to divert energy to the immersion heater but the tank has reached maximum temperature and has switched off. Water heating will resume automatically within 15 minutes after the hot water tank is below its maximum temperature and export energy is available.
Instant Savings
The Buddy provides an instant check on the monetary saving your Solar iBoost+ is making. The Buddy calculates the savings in £ per hour from the amount of energy being diverted to the immersion heater and the cost of your electricity supply. To see your savings, simply program the cost of your daytime electricity from your utility bill into the Buddy using the programming mode, see page 11.
Pairing to the Solar iBoost+
The Buddy must be paired with your Solar iBoost+ to operate. When first
powered up the display will state Not Bound. Follow this simple pairing
procedure to connect it to the Solar iBoost+, which will typically be
installed near your hot water cylinder.
- Press and hold both B and Boost buttons on the Buddy for 5 seconds, and the display will show:
- During the 60-second countdown move to the Solar iBoost+, and press any button to switch on the backlight. Immediately press and hold button B on the Solar iBoost+ for 5 seconds then release
- The Solar iBoost+ display will show: Pairing with Device…
- When the pairing is successful the Solar iBoost+ will show:
- Repeat the procedure until the pairing is achieved.
- Finally, locate the unit in a convenient position.
- Note this product is only suitable to operate with the Solar iBoost+
Get to know your iBoost+ Buddy
eco-gauge
The eco-gauge provides a simple indication of the amount of export energy
available from your solar PV system or the amount of power you are taking from
the grid.
When the gauge moves in the direction of the green arrow and the export symbol are shown, your household is generating more power than it is using and therefore exporting some power onto the grid. The value of energy available to use is shown in Watts. The Solar iBoost+ will be diverting energy to your immersion heater unless the tank is hot.
When the gauge moves in the direction of the red arrow, your household is taking energy from the grid and the amount of power taken is shown.