ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
what may spur increased demand is that after
strong government lobbying, some forward-thinking
insurers have, over the past few years, been offering
policyholders the option to replace their traditional geyser
with a solar heater, when they burst.
The downside is that the additional cost is shared
between insurer and policyholder (through a significantly
increased excess), though there is a degree of subsidy
from the insurer. He explains that insurers find this
worthwhile because statistics reveal solar systems
last longer than electrical geysers, and also minimise
consequential wall and carpet damage. Unfortunately,
he says, the take up on this is not as high as one might
expect, “because a burst geyser is an emotional event
for most residents who simply want hot water on tap as
soon as possible.”
“At the time your geyser pops, the average person is
not thinking logically about replacing it with an energy-
saving alternative, but rather getting the geyser fixed
as soon as possible – especially if it’s in the middle of
winter, and even more so if there’s incidental damage
to your wall or carpet, even if they’re environmentally-
aware people.
“A relatively small number of people make the choice to
go solar entirely for environmental reasons, to reduce the
load on the network and minimise their carbon footprint.
But that is a highly niche market. What we are finding
among the rest of the population is a growing realisation
that the electric geyser is the biggest user of power in
their home, and with sharp increases in the electricity
tariff, people are looking for alternative solutions.
35
“A relatively
small number
of people
make the
choice to
go solar
entirely for
environmental
reasons, to
reduce the
load on the
network and
minimise
their carbon
footprint. But
that is a highly
niche market.”
“The decision therefore is more a financial than an
ethical one. Government’s focus in this regard, after
abandoning the Eskom rebate system in 2014/15, is on
the lower end of the market: state subsidised homes. It
bought a large number of the low-pressure units in bulk
and so has got a good price, and those are getting rolled
out to RDP or social housing,” says Bredenkamp.
During the height of the Eskom rebate era, there had
been as many as 120 installer/suppliers, but these have
now reduced to about 20 serious competitors, he says.
“The market has been extremely competitive, but with
the lesser number of plumbers and installers you are
seeing greater resistance to reducing process, even as
the price per unit steadily falls.”
Barry Bredenkamp, general manager for Energy
Efficiency at The South African National Energy
Development Institute (SANEDI).
people wait until their current geyser ‘pops’”. Considering
a normal 3kW geyser today is designed to last from five to
seven years, this ought to be quite a frequent occurrence.
Reinforcing the idea that installing a solar water heater is
indeed purely a financial decision, Bredenkamp says that
the greatest take up of solar by far was during the period
that Eskom offered its rebate system when between
300 000 and 400 000 units were installed; and now
February 2020 Volume 25 I Number 12
Most people and companies installing solar water
heating systems go through such a qualified installer.
The difficulty of choosing a brand oneself is that one
then has to find a plumber or installer trained in that
exact system, which might defeat the purpose of buying
personally to get a good deal, says Bredenkamp.
“Installation requires knowing what you’re doing, as
some houses are orientated in such a position that they
really can’t be converted to solar heating, while others
find the promised benefits don’t materialise due to poor
installation.”
He gives the example of the former Department of
Energy Minister, Dipua Peters, who was a vocal advocate
of solar water heating, promoting the installation of one
million units in South Africa. It was decided to convert
www.plumbingafrica.co.za