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Birchwood Hotel saves millions in water heating cost
Over the next ten years, the Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg will save R15.5 million in water heating costs thanks to a Selected Energy solar installation. Selected Energy installed 64 kF302 Solahart solar water heaters and one centralised commercial Heat Store system to meet the water heating requirements of a new development on the Birchwood estate. The installation will supply 212 suites with 100 litres of hot water each.
According to project manager, Chris Elliott, two 300-litre Solahart solar water heaters will provide hot water to six rooms. The centralised system was necessitated by partial shading on the roof of one of the buildings.
"We opted for the Heat Store system on part of the installation, because the roof space we had at our disposal was partially shaded. The un-shaded surface was too small for the amount of 300-litre Solahart solar geysers we would have had to install to provide the same amount of hot water," said Elliott.
"The entire project took just over two weeks to complete. We're very happy with how quickly it rolled out," he said.
"Birchwood sales director Kevin Clarence was sceptical about how the aesthetic appeal of the tanks. We matched the colour of the tanks to the colour of the roof by covering it with a black Solahart sleeve, thereby putting his mind at ease," concluded Elliott.
Selected Energy's commercial division provides water heating solutions for large scale projects like hotels, mines and factories. For more information, contact Selected Energy.
UN heads want South Africa to use more solar panels
In a recent article published in Beeld, 20 May 2010, a United Nation (UN) official urged South Africans to invest in solar energy.
The article follows a visit from Achim Steiner, director general and environmental expert. According to the article Steiner was amazed to find many South African households still haven't invested in solar water heaters. According to the report, Steiner urged South Africans to make use of our ample sunlight.
Click here to view the full article.
A second Solahart for architect
Johannesburg - Former architect and town planner Malcolm Freeland invested in his first solar water heater 34 years ago. He replaced this solar water heater with a Solahart Kf 302 unit in 1996, and has never looked back. 14 years after his first Solahart installation, Freeland is ready to invest in his second Solahart.
"My late sister was very keen on conservation. We had a debate about solar water heating in 1976. I had my reservations, but discussed the matter with a colleague in the Johannesburg City Council, who immediately advised me to go solar," said Freeland.
"We renovated our house specifically to allow for maximum solar exposure. I extended the veranda by four feet and built up the outside wall to shelter the panels. I ensured that the system gets the maximum amount of sunlight and the panels are never shaded," he continued.
Freeland decided to replace his existing solar water heater with a Solahart because of Solahart's ability to retain heat for longer periods. Solahart systems are equipped with a double ceramic layer that insulates heat. This double layer ensures that very little heat is lost in periods of low radiation and at night.
Although Freeland has never serviced his solar water heater, it still supplies hot water to the three occupants in his Houghton home. Because of his positive Solahart experience, Freeland has decided to equip his outbuildings with a Solahart system too.
"I have been very satisfied with my system. Over the past 34 years I have saved a significant amount of money on water heating costs," he concluded.
Solar heating: The Thermosiphon Principle
All Solahart systems rely on solar heating by way of the Thermosiphon principle. The Thermosiphon principle is based on two naturally occurring phenomena:
- Dark objects absorb heat
- Hot water rises
For optimum solar heating all Solahart collector panels are coated with a dark, heat-absorbent surface. This coating absorbs the sun's rays and heats the cold fluid in the collector panel. As the fluid heats, it rises to the top of the collector panel and into the tank where it displaces cooler fluid which flows in to the bottom of the collector panel. The solar heating process is then repeated.
Read more on thermosiphon
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Selected Energy DSM cost blog entry
From the moment Eskom implemented the demand side management (DSM) programme sceptics have been pulling it apart. Although I believe Eskom's shoddy management in the past is reason enough to doubt the parastatal, I believe the programme is to the advantage of all South Africans, as I've stated in previous blog entries.
In this Engineering News article, Mike Roussos argues the cost of the DSM programme surpasses the investment in a new power station. According to him the South African public shouldn't fund the rebate programme through electricity price hikes.
Roussos states, "When the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) decided by how much Eskom could increase the tariffs, it included an amount for this subsidy. As a result, we pay for this subsidy through the money we pay for every Kilowatt Hour of electricity we use."
While nobody's arguing that the demand side management (DSM) initiative will cost a pretty penny, one has to keep in mind that South Africa has been producing electricity at rates far below the international average for far too long. If the electricity price had increased to ensure a sustainable electricity supply when it was supposed to, Eskom might not have faced supply problems, but the end user would still be paying for the final product.
It's also worth keeping in mind the cost of a traditional geyser has to be deducted from the price of a solar water heater. The price of a traditional solar water heater, paired with the Eskom subsidy significantly reduces the upfront investment.
Of the million solar water heaters Eskom plans to install, a great percentage is very likely to go on RDP houses.
Many solar water heaters in the lower price range aren't equipped with backup elements and can still produce hot water without access to electricity. This means that a great number of South Africans with limited access to electricity can still have hot water in their homes.
Some solar water heaters installed 28 years ago still function perfectly and some solar geyser companies have been around for decades. Consumers just have to take the time to investigate their solar water heater suppliers.
Because electrical geysers get disconnected when a solar water heater is connected, and because electrical geysers generally have a lifespan of five years, these solar water geyser owners have saved themselves the cost and effort of replacing six conventional geysers.
Upgrades and maintenance on Medupi will continue to cost money, while investing in a solar water heater is a once-off investment. The environmental benefits of solar water heaters also far outweigh the addition of a new power plant.
Furthermore, Eskom has indicated that the rebate amount on solar water heaters will reduce significantly over the next five years. The increase in the rebate amount was a way for Eskom to get more South Africans to invest in solar water heaters, which tend to have a higher upfront investment.
Although the cost of the rebate initiative is factored into the electricity tariff increases, in the long run the pressure a million solar water heaters would take off Eskom, the positive effect on the environment and the consistent access to hot water make it worthwhile.
Out and about
Last weekend was a grand affair for the Solahart team. We are proud
to have been part of the first South African Grand Designs Live
exhibition at the Coca Cola Dome, Johannesburg.
The impressive stand design and the professionalism of the dealers
made the Solahart stand a major attraction at the show. We look forward
to doing it all again next year.
We were also very pleased to take part in the annual Nampo Harvest
Day Festival in the Free State. The show received a record amount of
visitors this year, and we could hardly keep up with the interest in our
solar water heaters.
Thank you for visiting our stands. We hope to see you at more of the
exhibitions planned for 2010.
Keep an eye on the Solahart website for information on future
exhibitions.
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