A solar heater for your house – an offer worth considering |07 January 2011
If you’re asking yourself why you should, consider this: heating water for your home, small business or pool can be quite expensive because it takes a lot of energy to heat water.
Using a solar heater will reduce your energy consumption, save money and help to protect the environment.
So why is a solar heater a better solution in environmental terms? Simply because nowadays people are using a lot of gas and electricity to heat or keep water warm, burning fossil fuels that contribute to destroying our ozone layer through the greenhouse effect.
In other words, those intent on using fossil fuels should note that using solar energy has a positive impact on the environment by reducing the use of non-renewable energy sources to heat water, such as gas, coal, oil or nuclear power.
Renewable energy is not only a better answer, it is a global trend that Seychelles is working hard to adopt and move forward with.
There are several companies in Seychelles that sell solar water heaters, such as Sunheat Supplies, Bestway, Rapid Roofing, DB Supplies and NHW Seychelles.
So how does a solar heater work?
A solar heater, mounted on your rooftop, catches the sun’s rays through the front of its unit, traps it and converts the energy into heat.
The unit has an insulated weatherproof box containing a dark absorber plate under one or more transparent covers, and a tank for storage.
As the water flows through, it is heated by the solar radiation and then stored in the well-insulated storage tank for later use, to prevent it from going cold when there is no sunlight.
The only real disadvantage to operating a solar water heater is the possible need to have a backup system for maintaining the hot water temperature on cloudy days.
When choosing a solar water heater, it is important to figure out your daily consumption – that is how much hot water you use per day. It is recommended that you take showers rather than baths since baths require more hot water.
A chance to have your own heater on your roof
The Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC), together with the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), are now making a loan scheme available to people who want to buy and instal a solar water heater for their home.
Members of the public who wish to take such a loan – which is interest-free – can pick up application forms at the SEC, Aarti Chambers, Mont Fleuri. Applicants are required to attach a copy of their water utility bill as proof of address and to show that they are PUC clients.
A variety of units will be available to cater for various house sizes, and clients will start to pay back the loan only after their heaters have been tested to their satisfaction and they have certified that they are satisfied with it, operation-wise.
So for the sake of your financial budget and the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, get your home a solar water heater!
QUICK FACTFILE:
● Solar energy is the cleanest and cheapest of all known energy sources.
● Around 10% of the 23,000 households in Seychelles have solar water heaters.
● If half the households in Seychelles fit a solar water heater, the country can save several million dollars per year.
● If half of all households use solar water heaters, the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will be the same as doubling the fuel efficiency of all cars.
● Adding a unit to your home will also increase its value. So you could end up getting back whatever money you put into a solar heating system when you sell your house.
● No electricity is produced by solar water heaters, they produce only hot water.