Posted by admin on Jan 23, 2014 in Posts
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India has initiated a voice-activated National Helpline on Solar Water Heaters since 15 September 2011. This helpline was started for awareness of the technology and to answer the questions of general people. This service is being supervised by the Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI). It has a help desk, which has a toll-free number (1800 2 33 44 77), providing services from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM between Monday and Friday, and on Saturdays, 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. This call center offers help in both Hindi and English languages. The initiative is a part of UNDP/Global Environment Facility Global Solar Water Heating Project (GSWHP). It is a permanent service to the sector answering the question about the solar thermal. The fast-developing solar water heater market in India positions amongst the top 10 in the world. According to the Union Government of India, the potential of the solar water heater is nearly 140 million m2. Of the 20 million m2 declared as a goal in the national Solar Mission Plan, 9 million m2 were already fixed until June 2011. Considering the huge possibility and the pace with which it is discovered, the helpline is predicted to develop proper awareness and reach a larger group of the public. The basic purpose of this helpline is to direct customers to the nearest supplier of solar water heaters of their areas. On payment of nominal charges, Manufacturers can get registered with the call center and add customers to their network of dealers and installers. Only Approved manufacturers can take part in the national incentive program. Another reason was better disseminated information about the advantages of solar water heaters, as well as information about incentives and financing relevant to solar thermal technology. The type of calls attended every quarter will be registered in a database and contributed with the MNRE. In addition, the call center gathers complaints of the existing clients of a particular company and shares this information with the respective business to improve the quality. The data will also help the ministry chalk out future...
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Posted by admin on Jan 23, 2014 in Posts
We wake up with the sun, but never think how its energy can be utilized in a different manner. The sun is the ultimate source of energy for us, and its rays can be harnessed for all our energy needs. According to a study in 2010, there seems to be a change in trends. Nowadays, homeowners prefer homes that are equipped with solar setups and are willingly paying more for it. The advantages of a solar water heater are immense, and its benefits always give satisfaction and peace of mind. Energy Efficiency A solar water heater gives you an efficient, clean and sustainable form of water heating solution to your home. It utilizes the heat energy of the sun’s radiation, effectively heat water and supplies it directly to water taps. The sun is an unlimited source of immense power, which is free for everyone to use. With all these combined, a solar unit can provide you with perfect hot water without using a single unit of electricity. Renewable Heat Incentive The electricity that is generated by solar panels or saved by using water heaters can be sold back to the utility and power companies and homeowners can earn money, business power credits and other benefits. For a typical setup generating 2kW of power, one can yield a return of something around $2000 over a span of 20 years, accompanied by environment benefits. Solar Water Heating Solar water heaters are available in different sizes and types, the amount of water it can provide depends upon the tank size. A typical family of four will require a minimum tank size of 350 liters to meet their everyday hot water needs. The space required for installation is not a big factor, as solar panels are fitted onto the roofs and the tank it situated on the top. In terms of aesthetics and appearances, solar heaters are noticeable in an unwelcome...
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Posted by admin on Jan 23, 2014 in Posts
The Sun emits huge amounts of energy, out of which only 1% reaches our earth. This 1% of sun’s radiation is enough to power the earth and its habitat for centuries. When on a sunny day, we climb back to our car parked in the sun, the seat is uncomfortably warm, even the steering wheel is too hot to hold. All this happens because of the entrapment of the heat inside the car, due to the glass windows and visor. Glass does allow heat to go in, but not to go out, this effect called the greenhouse effect. This is the same principle that most solar water heaters use for their working. In many homes where solar water heaters are used, they are able to save more than 30% of their overall electricity bills on water heating, which otherwise would have been wasted. A solar water heater is a proficient and an eco-friendly way to reduce costs on water heating. Due to the green movement and sustainable development, federal governments provide tax credits, loans, and benefits for those who install solar heaters. Countries from all over the world are showing lots of eagerness and enthusiasm to develop alternative forms of energy by setting up research centers, infrastructure and supplying investment. Solar water heating system heats water by using solar energy, which is free of cost, and while heating water no damage is caused in the environment. So it is one of the safe and efficient ways to deliver hot water. When we use such systems, there is no dependency on non-renewable sources of energy like fossil fuels, which pollute the environment while giving hot water. A solar water system has mainly four parts. Water storage tank to store the water which is needed to be heated, solar thermal collectors, which traps the heat of the sun and helps to heat the water, interconnecting pipes, which is used to mobilize hot and cold water and fluid systems that transfer the heat energy from the collector to the tank. This industry has undergone several changes and innovations in the last few years. The water heaters available nowadays are much more advanced and efficient. They can be installed in a few hours if wall reinforcements are not required; they are also aesthetically pleasing and have auto temperature controls. All these characteristics and benefits make it a great...
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Posted by admin on Jan 23, 2014 in Posts
As we are in the twenty first century, the cost of non renewable sources of energy is enhancing every day. In such a scenario, solar water heaters are in high demand. Solar water heaters are being used worldwide especially in India, US, China and many other African countries. US was the first country to utilize solar power to heat water. It has gained popularity as it is very much economical than fossil fuels. However in earlier days when the price of fossil fuels was not that much, it was not in demand at that time. Types of solar water heaters Usually there are two types of solar water heaters. They are an active type and passive type. The only difference between them is the way the liquid is circulated inside them; an active consists of circulating pumps and controls, whereas a passive is much simpler in design and working. This article will go deep into Active solar water heaters. Types of Solar panels Three different types of solar collectors are used in solar water heaters. They are Flat-plate collectors, Integral collector-storage system and evacuated-tube solar collectors. 1. Flat plate collectors- These collectors are flat in shape and consist of different layers of surfaces. A layer of glass or plastic is placed at the top where the sunlight falls. The box of the collector is properly insulated and weather shield and is the most common collectors. 2. Integral collector storage system-These collectors are being used in cold areas where there is not sufficient solar energy available to heat water. In such collectors, the water is first heated and then passed to the tank and after that it is again heated by a heater in order to get good quality of hot water. 3. Evacuated-tube solar collectors-In such solar collectors, there are many tubes, which are made up of glass and metal and positioned in such a manner that every glass tube is parallel to each other. The tubes are located so that direct sunlight falls on them. The outer part of the tube is made of glass, and the inner part of the glass is made of metal. The metal part plays the role of absorber which absorbs heat. Such types of solar collectors are installed in the place where there is an adequate supply of heat which can be absorbed. It also helps to reduce the loss due to...
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Posted by admin on Jan 23, 2014 in Posts
In a country like India, there is a market of Rs 600 Crore only in domestic water heater, in which Rs 120 Crore consists of solar water heaters and the rest consists of electric and gas heaters. But the market of solar water heaters of Rs 120 crore is not too much if we consider the population of India. India’s population is around 120 Crores, which means 5 Rs per year a person is being spent on domestic water heater. There are almost 200 million houses in India in which 40 million households reside the middle class. Out of them, only 10 million households have their yearly income more than Rs 5 lakhs. It is very necessary to use solar water heaters in India as only 0.7 million households use solar water heaters which is less than 2 percent of the total middle class families present. On the other hand, there are 25 million families who are using solar water heaters in China. As China is using the resource in a very useful way, and it is successful as well, which means that this technique has a potential to replace other means to heat water. According to some newspaper there will be a growth of around 500 to 600 percent in the solar water heater segment by...
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