Why should you go for solar water heating ? By illusions4real
Having a solar water heater would allow you to save electricity and thus money. It is also your way of doing your bit for the good of the environment. In the long term the cost of electricity would become more expensive with the expected rise in fuel prices. Moreover, you may be facing a situation of irregular power supply in your part of the country. For these reasons, a solar heater would allow you to have hot water even when the power supply is cut while at the same time enjoy savings off your electricity bill.
How do you identify a good solar water heater?
A good solar heater should have sufficient collector area for the capacity claimed. Typical flat plate collectors made in the country have an area of around 2sqm and are capable of heating around 100 litres of water in a day to a temperature of 50 – 60°C. Collectors should use good quality materials and the absorbers should carry a good quality coating (BIS approved). The system should be mounted on a rigid structure and should be firmly fixed with the roof to prevent damage in high winds. Conergy solar heaters fulfill all the criteria required of a good solar water heater.
What are the factors that you should look out for in the installation of a solar water heating system?
of the house for the simple purpose of receiving unobstructed sunlight or shadow free area. The collectors of the system have to face the sun and hence should be oriented due south for maximum interception of sunlight. there should be no obstruction to sunlight in the south, west and east directions in that order of preference (an arc of about 120°, 60° both sides of the southern direction should ideally be shadow free). As a rule of thumb, the requirement of shadow free area is around 3 sqm for each 1m x 2m collector used. the area should be flat, away from rain water drains and close to the bathrooms where hot water is to be supplied. Cold water should be available at the height of around 2.5m from the base of the system.
Can the solar water heater be installed somewhere other than on the roof?
Yes, the solar water heater can also be installed on a bracket on a south facing wall and open ground with mess protection, close to the bathrooms. important things to note is the access to the system for repairs and proximity to the use point.
Does the solar water heater function even on cloudy days?
On partially cloudy days, the solar water heater would still work but not at its optimal level. In any case, the solar water heater system can be designed with a suitable electrical back up heater to take care of hot water demand on cloudy days. Conergy solar heaters are equipped with electrical back-up.
How long will the water remain heated by a solar water heater?
A solar heating system comes with an insulated storage tank which would limit heat loss. The hot water in the insulated tank should remain hot without significant drop in temperature for around 24 hrs.
Does the Indian government provide financial incentives to defray the cost of a solar water heater system?
Incentives are available from the government. The Central Government through its Ministry of New and Renewable Energy provides soft loans @ 2% to domestic users, 3% to institutional users not availing accelerated depreciation and 5% to industrial/commercial users availing depreciation from Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), public/private sector banks, scheduled cooperative banks, RBI approved non-banking financing companies, intermediaries of IREDA and other public/private financing institutions (FIs). The borrowers will be eligible for loan up to 85% of the cost of the systems, repayable over a period of five years. Please check these incentives at the time of purchase as the above mentioned is subject to revision by the State.
Most domestic solar heating systems are installed on the roof of the house for the simple purpose of receiving unobstructed sunlight or shadow free area. The collectors of the system have to face the sun and hence should be oriented due south for maximum interception of sunlight. there should be no obstruction to sunlight in the south, west and east directions in that order of preference (an arc of about 120°, 60° both sides of the southern direction should ideally be shadow free). As a rule of thumb, the requirement of shadow free area is around 3 sqm for each 1m x 2m collector used. the area should be flat, away from rain water drains and close to the bathrooms where hot water is to be supplied. Cold water should be available at the height of around 2.5m from the base of the system.
illusions4real having a solar water heater would allow you to save electricity and thus money. It is also your way of doing your bit for the good of the environment. In the long term the cost of electricity would become more expensive with the expected rise in fuel prices
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