The Tjommie smart geyser management device connects directly to a home distribution board to monitor and control geyser usage. (Photo: Kyran Blaauw) Following Daily Maverick’s report on the compulsory roll-out of Tjommie smart geyser devices in Nelson Mandela Bay, readers sent in dozens of questions about how the technology works, whether it is necessary for homes with solar power, who is allowed to install it and what data it collects.
Tjommie is a smart geyser management system that connects directly to a home’s distribution board. It monitors hot water availability, learns household usage patterns, and can remotely switch geysers on and off to shift demand away from peak periods when pressure on the national grid is highest.
We put the most common questions to Ignus du Toit, the CEO of Escoteck and Neura, the company behind the technology.
Question: In a household that operates entirely on solar power, where the geyser runs according to a schedule set in the solar system, would a Tjommie device still be required?
Answer: If a household’s solar PV system and geyser control is set up in such a way that the geyser charges only during sunshine hours, a Tjommie is not strictly necessary.
Q: I have solar panels installed, but the geyser has not been linked to this installation. However, a CBI geyser timer has been installed, and I control the geyser by scheduling the timer via an app. Will this be affected after a Tjommie installation?
A: No, it will not. A timer has a tendency to drift. Tjommie is a smart device connected to the cloud, which will optimise heating and cooling cycles. No timer is as smart as a thermostat because a timer does not know when the geyser is at an optimal temperature. A thermostat is a device that has traditionally optimised the temperature setting, so a timer that can turn the electricity to the geyser off before the optimal temperature is reached is not beneficial to the user. Tjommie only operates with the thermostat status as the reference point and, as such, is optimising the thermostat functioning.
Q: Would a household that uses a combination of solar and gas geysers still require a Tjommie device to be installed? For example, if the household switches between a solar geyser on sunny days and a gas geyser during overcast weather, would a Tjommie still be necessary?
A: If the solar geyser is still connected to electricity, then a Tjommie installation will be worthwhile.
Q: Any person who works on our distribution board must be a certified electrician. Whoever carries out the installation must have the relevant qualifications. Are all installers certified, and how can their qualifications be verified?
A: All installations are issued with a certificate of compliance by a qualified electrician. The electrician’s registration details can be verified through their registration number, which appears on the certificate of compliance.
/file/attachments/2992/IMG_6257_752857_872752.jpg "Nelson Mandela Bay businessman Ignus du Toit with the Tjommie smart geyser management device in Neura’s workshop in Walmer, Gqeberha. (Photo: Kyran Blaauw)<br>")
Q: Our entire house is on solar, and the geyser runs on a schedule set in the solar system. How will this impact the proposed installation of a Tjommie device?
A: In such an instance a Tjommie is not strictly necessary; however, all homes in Nelson Mandela Bay that have rooftop solar PV need be on a ‘time of use’ tariff (as per the municipality’s rules), and so where a geyser is still connected to the grid network a Tjommie can only benefit the end user and assist the system in that it will make sure the geyser is not being used in the most expensive peak tariff periods.
Q: We do have a geyser switch-off that was installed by the municipality many years ago. Was that a needless expenditure at the time?
A: No. The legacy ripple relay systems served the municipality very well. The Tjommie device is an upgrade of the old technology, with far more functionality and capabilities.
Q: A homeowner recently had a Tjommie installed. Since the installation, the homeowner has not had any hot water. What could be the possible reason for this, and could it be related to the installation? What solutions are available?
A: Anyone who experiences cold water after an installation should contact the helpdesk at help@mytjom.com, call 0860 376 626, or WhatsApp 063 315 7596. If the issue cannot be identified remotely, a technician will be dispatched to investigate. In many cases, issues of this nature are found to be unrelated to the Tjommie device and are instead linked to a malfunctioning thermostat or geyser element.
Q: How does Tjommie protect residents’ personal information, and how is compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia) ensured? What information is collected?
A: Tjommie does not gather any personal information as defined under Popia. Any geyser information that is processed is anonymised. DM