Solar Water Heating: Eskom Solar Savings
Article Summary: Solar energy savings has been a topic of considerable discussion for years in South Africa where we are blessed with very high sunshine hours. Despite this installation of solar energy hot water heating systems using solar panels has been slow to take off for 2 reasons namely: (1) low electricity costs from Escom and (2) high capital cost of solar hot water panel installations. Matters have changed dramatically within the last 2 years and Eskom is now offering significant capital cost savings (rebates) for households that install solar heated water systems. The rapidly increasing cost of electricity per kWhr room Escom has led to Cape Town & Johannesburg householders in particular leading the move to installing renewable energy solar water heating systems.
What's Solar Energy?
There are many wonderful things about solar power and not least is
that the intensity is greatest when we need most energy ... ie during
the daytime. We like to sit in the sun in summer and when we do this
we act as a solar energy absorber ... We get sunburned from excessive
solar radiation ... or, we feel nice and warm and comfortable. We may
feel the need to remove our clothing to help reduce the amount of solar
heat absorbed by our clothes.
Heating water is the most widely used way of capturing sun power or solar energy...
You can advertise with us and place your solar powered products here for all to see...
Solar powered applications are created to capture what you and I feel as we sit or lie in the sun. Solar panels are designed to turn this absorbed heat into useful energy saving opportunities more often than not by using the energy to heat water in a hot water geyser which essentially becomes a sink for the sun energy. Much emphasis these days is placed upon building solar panel roof water heating systems using basic DIY skills.
Green Power Solar Systems
Why use a Kingspan Green Power Evacuated Tube Solar Collector?
Why should you use a Kingspan green power evacuated tube solar collector? Simple, over 10 million Kingspan tubes have been sold worldwide, with great feedback, there is a 20 year warranty on the tubes, it has a temperature limiter at 95 or 135 degrees, they were the first to pass the test for European solar keymark, they are the only certified European manufacturer and the tubes have been installed at the Pentagon and NASA, with great results.
Why is
Green Power Different? Green Power
customers got R2.9 million in rebates from Eskom last year, there
are no hassles our expert staff work with you from start to finish,
Our unique solar collectors produce more heat in all conditions than
most = more savings for you! This is because of their unique
patented design with warranties from 5 – 20 years with Solar
Keymark approval. Green Power supplies solar thermal (makes heat for
your hot water cylinder) solutions and NOT solar
photo-voltaic(electricity generation via the sun).
Solar
energy has been a topic of considerable discussion for years but
somehow except for garden lighting and weak pond or fountain pumps
it does not seem to have taken up the imagination as much as it
should. There are many wonderful things about solar power and not
least is that the intensity is greatest when we need most energy ...
ie during the daytime. We like to sit in the sun in summer and when
we do this we act as a solar energy absorber ...
Today, we use a whole range of solar powered household devices as well as specially designed homes to capture solar energy for both lighting and heating purposes and there is little doubt that certainly in countries where the sun shines a lot, USA, Australia, South Africa, South America, Far East and Middle East, the use of solar power will increase by an enormous amount. Solar energy is to all intents and purposes a renewable resource of energy and we will get more efficient at capturing it and turning the solar power into even more useful and widespread solar powered devices for home and industry. Already the range of solar powered consumer items is staggering .. however it is in the area of water heating for households where the solar energy benefits are greatest, easiest to capture, and most cost effective.
In South Africa as mentioned above the national electricity generator Eskom (Evkom) is now offering rebates to households prepared to install hot water solar energy heating systems.
Advantages of Solar Power and Solar Powered Applications
Easy to install and easy to site ... solar power can be used almost anywhere. Homes, offices, factories, malls, crowded areas, sparse populated areas
Solar power and energy creates something like 5 times a many jobs as the equivalent conventional energy systems per unit of energy generated.
The price or running cost is virtually constant with the cost being for a capital installation. This is unlike conventional oil, coal or gas energy which will inevitably rise as these natural resources get consumed and become more scarce.
There is no greenhouse gas effect or air pollution created by solar powered installations. In these days of confirmed climate change this is critical. It has been estimated that a single solar powered home heating system saves the polluting equivalent of driving a car for about 4,000 miles.
In addition to saving the atmosphere from polluting gases solar powered applications have the effect of reducing by as much as 98% the water required (and blown away as steam) of a conventionally generated MWh of electricity
Consider other types of water heating and costs of heating water for the home
Glossary of solar power or solar energy terms
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Absorbers: dark-colored objects that soak up heat in solar collectors.
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Active solar heater: a solar water or space heating system that moves heated air or water using pumps or fans.
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Covers: clear materials that allow sunlight to pass into solar collectors and trap heat inside the solar collectors.
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Flat-plate solar collector: large, flat boxes with glass covers and dark-colored metal plates inside that absorb heat.
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Insulation: materials that prevent or slow down the movement of heat and thus conserve energy.
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Passive solar heater: a solar water heating or space heating system that moves heated air or water without using pumps or fans.
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Passive solar home: a house that uses a room or another part of the building as a solar collector ... called sunspaces see below
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Pipes: tubes that carry heated water from solar collectors to hot water tanks.
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Solar collectors: boxes, frames, or rooms that trap the sun's rays to produce solar energy or heat.
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Sunspace: a room that faces south (in northern hemisphere or north in southern hemisphere, or a small structure attached to the south side of a house).
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Thermal mass: materials that store heat within a sunspace or solar collector.
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Vents: tubes that carry heated air from solar collectors to other parts of a house.
Be Safety Aware.. Get Guaranteed and Approved Solar Hot Water Heating Systems
In South Africa always use only SABS approved installers of solar hot water heating systems...
