Thought Features
SOLAR WATER HEATING - A VISION OF THE FUTURE
You might be thinking to yourself “not another article on Solar Water Heating!” Or even “What else is there to be said on the subject?” And you would be right. The subject has been written about to such great lengths that everyone may have had their fill of it. That being the case, it is still necessary to backtrack to the beginning and provide an overview of solar water heating for anyone that may disagree with the sentiments above.
Solar water heating basically refers to the process whereby water is being heated up by the energy from the sun. Contrary to popular belief, the sun’s rays are not converted to electricity and then used to heat up a geyser which is in fact one of the most inefficient and wasteful uses of electricity. Solar water heating harnesses the free energy from the sun converts it to hot water and thereby achieves huge amounts of electricity savings. These savings can in turn reduce the water heating load on the already stressed national electricity grid, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve all other benefits associated with solar water heating.
In South Africa, water heating accounts for a third to half of the energy consumption in the average household. Reducing this expenditure through water solar heating could also lead to significant improvements in the disposable incomes of the lower-income sector.
Grinpal’s Vision 49 Solar Energy Measurement system
Grinpal Energy Management Pty (Ltd), a subsidiary of Palace Group, has developed a system that will measure and report the amount of energy harvested from the sun, and used to heat the water in your Solar Water Heater. This system will bring much required assistance to the already existing rebate process introduced by Eskom.
Eskom introduced a rebate program as a tool to facilitate and speed up the much needed roll-out of the solar water heaters in South Africa. The model used by Eskom is however, costly and cumbersome for the ordinary South African, with return on investment only achievable after five to ten years. Furthermore, the rebate program makes use of rebate values that are based on statistics such as hot water consumption of the average household and the amount of electricity used as a percentage of the total household consumption. Although this method of measurement has been thoroughly researched and widely used, it cannot be as accurate as using actual real-time data.
Unique features of the Vision 49
As opposed to using statistics, the Grinpal Vision 49 system uses real-time data which presents an accurate reflection of the amount of deferred energy savings achieved by the system. It also measures hot water consumption and electrical energy used by the geyser element, and allows for remote access to this information. The Vision 49 system will revolutionize the industry, as now the owner’s savings directly relates to his own consumption patterns, and therefore is not linked to a statistical calculation anymore.
By having measured energy savings, the owner will qualify for a soon to be introduced Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff. This will in turn improve the off-take of solar water heaters. By having an initial investment and a future revenue stream, projects of significant sizes can be financed and implemented at a zero cost to the home-owner.
With the right financial model, the investor will obtain a return on investment, the home-owner a fully installed, guaranteed and maintained SWH system for free. Eskom will achieve a reduction in load and deferred costs of not having to build more coal-hungry power stations, South Africa’s air will be cleaner, and the pressure on the country’s electricity grid will be reduced. A win-win situation for everybody involved.
Another positive spin-off will be the creation of jobs that will be achieved as well as an economic boost through increased local manufacturing.
This is the introduction of innovation and cutting edge technology, a vision of the future… The Vision49 by Grinpal.
Pilot project in Winterveld
Grinpal is also working with the Department of Energy in the installation of solar water heaters in Winterveld, Pretoria. Winterveld is an informal urban settlement and smallholding area approximately 9 500 hectares. It is situated approximately 40 km north west of Pretoria, adjacent to Mabopane. The project was established on the backdrop of the official launch by the President of South Africa in April 2010. The project is part of the government’s target of installing at least one million solar water heaters by 2014.
The pilot started with the installation of the Vision49 solar water heater at the residence of Mr. George Maziya of Winterveld Ext 3. Installation of the system was completed in only one day and tests were conducted to ensure proper circulation of hot water from the panel to the geyser and also for the hot water pressure from the tap. Further communication was maintained with the owner who was enthusiastic about the installation and the product.