Use cases
What BoilerBuddy does for you
At home, for your customers or when you build your own: find the situation you recognise and see what changes.
At home
For your own solar water heater
You want to know whether it works and what it gives you, and hear about it when something's wrong, even when you're not there. The BoilerBuddy Alpo sits next to your solar water heater and keeps an eye on it day and night.
The water is hot, so it all works, right?
Without BoilerBuddy
If the pump stops or a sensor comes loose, the boiler simply takes over. You don't notice a thing, and it often shows up weeks later. Or never.
With BoilerBuddy
You get an email as soon as something's wrong, saying what's going on. And another one once it's fixed.
You don't know what it gives you
Without BoilerBuddy
A solar water heater has no meter. You know it works, but not how much heat it delivers, so you don't know what it saves you either.
With BoilerBuddy
You see per day, month and year what the sun has heated, and how much gas, money and CO₂ that saves. It's an estimate, based on your tank, boiler and gas price.
A solar water heater you rarely see
Without BoilerBuddy
At your holiday home, or at your parents'. If something goes wrong, nobody notices until you're back.
With BoilerBuddy
You can have several Alpos in your account, grouped by place. If your parents have their own account, they can give you access: you see their charts and get the same alerts. If the internet drops out there, you hear about that too, and the Alpo sends everything later.
Your installer doesn't know what's going on
Without BoilerBuddy
You call them: the water isn't as hot as it used to be. They have to come round first to see what's wrong.
With BoilerBuddy
If your installer fitted the Alpo, they can already see it. If it's yours, share it with their company: they see the charts and alerts and can check the settings. You stop sharing whenever you like.
After a service: is everything working again?
Without BoilerBuddy
After a service visit or a new installation, you assume everything is fine. If a sensor is wired wrong or the pump doesn't switch, you only find out much later.
With BoilerBuddy
On the first sunny day, the charts show whether the pump starts and the tank heats up. If a sensor gives no reading, you get an email.
For installers
For installers and service companies
You look after your customers' solar water heaters and want to know what's going on, without visiting every one.
After handover, you hear nothing
Without BoilerBuddy
You only hear something when the customer calls. You plan maintenance by the calendar, not by what the system actually does.
With BoilerBuddy
All your customers' systems are in one list, by customer and location. Alerts reach you and your technicians. The charts and the yield show you where to go first.
A customer calls: the water isn't getting hot
Without BoilerBuddy
You drive over without knowing what you'll find, and perhaps without the right part.
With BoilerBuddy
You open the charts and see what collector, tank and pump did. The alert says what's wrong, for example that the pump is off while the collector is hot.
A customer with several sites
Without BoilerBuddy
A customer has four sites, some with more than one solar water heater. When something breaks, you want to know right away which one it is and where.
With BoilerBuddy
You record each customer's sites, and for each Alpo where it is in the building. An alert then tells you which Alpo it is, at which site and for which customer. People at the customer can get access to all their Alpos, including ones added later.
Who pays: you or the customer?
Without BoilerBuddy
For one customer, monitoring is part of your service contract. Another would rather pay for it themselves.
With BoilerBuddy
The subscription runs per Alpo per month, and for each Alpo you choose who pays. Keep it in your company's name and pass the cost on. Or hand it over to the customer, subscription included: the customer pays, and you keep managing it.
People in your area are looking for an installer
Without BoilerBuddy
Someone with a solar water heater wants an installer who can fit the Alpo or fix a fault, and doesn't know who to turn to.
With BoilerBuddy
With a listing you're in the installer directory, with your work area and services. Requests come in by email. You pay for the listing per year, separately from the subscription.
You don't install solar water heaters?
You don't have to. You can also just fit the Alpo and keep an eye on the solar water heater remotely. In the directory you list the services you offer.
For makers
For people who build their own
Send readings from your own hardware and use the whole portal. The Alpo uses the same API as you.
You already read your controller yourself
Without BoilerBuddy
With an ESP32 or a Raspberry Pi you have the readings. But you still need somewhere with charts and alerts, and building that yourself is most of the work.
With BoilerBuddy
Create a device in the portal and you get an API key, or pair with a code. The configuration tells your device which sensors to read, and where the controller keeps them. From then on you have charts, alerts and sharing, just like with the Alpo.
Your device isn't always online
Without BoilerBuddy
The Wi-Fi drops or the router restarts. You don't want gaps in your chart, or duplicate readings.
With BoilerBuddy
Every reading carries its own timestamp, and readings up to a year old are still accepted. Sending something twice does no harm: the server recognises duplicates. With a heartbeat, the portal can tell whether your device is offline or just quiet.
Good to know
For now, BoilerBuddy only works with OEG's KSW-E, KSW and KS2W. Only sensors in your device's circuit show up in charts and alerts. Working with a different controller? Let us know.
Recognise your situation?
Create an account to get started, or find an installer who works with BoilerBuddy.