Thinking of buying a solar geyser? Here are a few tips to help you make the right choices as your decision will cut your electricity bill by 50%-80%.
As long as you have sunshine a solar geyser is able to function and still provide hot water, but you will have to use your electricity on cloudy days and in winter months if you're not off the grid. Although there are many factors that make one product better than another, you will need to consider a few choices.
Solar tubes or Solar Panels; what's the difference?
In solar tubes, the water gets heated up inside the tubes from the sun directly and you still have a backup of electricity. With solar panels, you are totally off the grid because you have stored energy in batteries and inverters that provide energy to heat up your geyser.
The cost will range from R12 000 to R25 000; your decision will be based on your needs and budget.
President Cyril Ramphosa declared South Africa a disaster on February 9th, 2023, primarily due to Eskom's lack of ability to provide sufficient electricity to the country. This new climate of uncertainty calls for planning ahead and converting from an electric geyser to a solar one is a great place to begin.
Here are a few questions you can expect from a plumber who is going to access your request to go solar.
1: Roof Structure support for solar geyser
The first issue a plumber needs to access is whether your roof will accommodate a solar geyser.
2. What is the pressure of your Municipal Water
It's been described as a 'simple compact design' High-pressure solar geysers will normally be required if you already have an electric geyser, simply put high-pressure solar operate on a circulatory pump to move the water, operating at the same pressure as your taps.
A low-pressure geyser is inactive relying on gravity to move the water and is 50-60% cheaper than high-pressure geysers, so if you're on a budget but want to get off the grid a low-pressure solar geyser is something to look at.
3. Direction of Solar panels in the Western Cape
Installing solar panels on roofs facing north
The best way to utilize the sun in South Africa is to install solar panels on roofs facing north. Mounting to the northeast or northwest is less efficient but can still be done.
4. Flat plate versus Evacuated tube solar geysers
A flat plate needs direct sunlight, it is said that flat plate solar water heating is not as effective as the evacuated tube system but will do for our South African climate as long your roof is clear of shadows.
Good News in South Africa - Solar Geysers
At the beginning of the year, Engineering news reported that Limpopo's Airforce Base is using solar geysers not only to save on electricity but they have been designed to mitigate hard water, where you have limescale build-up.
And now for the fun bit about plumbing; Albert Einstein has been quoted as saying that if he had his life over again, he would like to be a plumber.
“I would rather choose to be a plumber or a peddler in the hope to find that modest degree of independence still available under present circumstances.”
How cool is that...
Have a wonderful week ahead.
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