South African solar heating specialist Home Comfort has launched a high pressure solar geyser which, it says, is the first affordable solar geyser for South Africa.
It says that the 150 L geyser, which can be fully installed for R10 000, will help bridge the affordability gap for middleclass South Africans. Based on a five-year repayment period and a prime interest rate, a fully installed solar geyser would cost less than R250 a month. The offering is fully inclusive of installation and commissioning.
Home Comfort says that the offer has been put on the market in the wake of power utility Eskom's recent 43% increase in the cost of electricity for residential users.
"With electricity costs undoubtedly on an upward trend for the foreseeable future, we put our heads together to come up with a way to make it possible for ordinary South Africans to save on their electricity bill by using solar heating to generate hot water for their homes," says Home Comfort MD Hendrik Roux.
"The project had been on the table for some time while we engineered the perfect package, but the timing could not have been better in the face of the escalating electricity costs currently being experienced in South Africa," he notes.
Roux says that, until now, the cost of solar-powered geysers has been beyond the reach of average South Africans. However, he says that with the new offering, the company has been able to breach the cost barrier.
"In the average home, a high percentage of electricity consumption is attributed to heating water. Based on calculations, the installation will pay for itself within a few years and, with a lifespan of 20 years, a solar geyser will continue to bring real savings to the homeowner , in addition to increasing the value of their property, " he says.
Solar water heating has been used commercially around the world for more than 50 years and, in several countries, it is mandatory to install a solar water geyser in every new home.
Roux notes, therefore, that Home Energy's new offering effectively brings it in line with the latest energy saving trends in First World countries. He adds that solar heating is clean energy that does not pollute the environment or exploit limited natural resources.
The solar heating system, comprising a geyser and solar heat collector panels, takes less than a day to install.
Roux says that the system is designed to supply hot water 24 hours a day. This, he notes, is achieved by collecting hot water during the day in an insulated geyser, capable of retaining hot water overnight.
"Our system is designed to heat water to 65 ºC, as is the case with any standard electrical geyser. Being a hybrid system, it is also equipped with a back-up electrical heating element, controlled by a thermostat for those days when the sun's energy is insufficient for water heating," he says.
Further, he says, as there are no moving parts, the system requires little or no maintenance and the solar panel placed on the roof of the home is hail and freeze resistant.
The geyser has been apporived by the South African Bureau of standards and the flat plate solar collectors are based on a design by Daimler Benz Aerospace and imported from Sunda Solar Energy Technology with application to various international standards.
Established in 1993, Home Comfort is an accredited supplier on the Eskom solar programme, a national solar partner to Absa and a supplier of solar heating for domestic, commercial and public facilities.
By Guy Copans
Article Source: engineeringnews.co.za
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