FEATURE
29
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The sun is there for all – are we missing an opportunity ?
ByRory Macnamara
Solar equipment is not just selling or buying boxes . Selection is critical and must suit the application .
Our focus here is for domestic hot water storage . Both the engineer and plumber must appreciate the opening sentence as SANS 204 clearly states , *“… a minimum of 50 % by volume of the annual average hot water heating requirement shall be provided by means other than electrical resistance heating , including , but not limited to , solar , heat pumps , heat recovery from other systems or processes …”
The article does not get into the vested interests of the Technical Committee / working groups that industry is subject to , but rather what is in place now and must be applied now .
SANS 10400 XA then details the requirements of Hot Water Supply , **“… if solar water heating ( SWH ) systems are used , these shall comply with SANS 1307 , SANS 10106 , SANS 10254 and SANS 10252-1 .”
The water installation in buildings must comply with SANS 10252-1 and SANS 10254 . Let us just look at the standards that apply excluding PV and excluding the electrics of a domestic system if applicable . Furthermore , there are requirements for roofs with the maximum tank on a roof being 250l , but the engineer will design for that . Just avoid dumping a 500l tank on a domestic roof ! ( Your Personal Liability will not cover the damages !)
The point is , your reference to install a solar systems is not a grubby photocopy of one section of a standard placed on a social media page . ( Breach of copyright , by the way , so
beware guys !) A plumber must look at the big picture all the time :
• 2009- SANS 1307 Domestic storage solar water heating systems . Edition 5.01
• 2011 – SANS 10400 X & XA , Environmental sustainability and Energy use in Buildings , respectively . Edition 1.00
• 2011 – SANS 204 Energy efficiency in buildings . Edition 1.00
• 2014 – SANS 10106 Installation , maintenance , repair , and replacement of domestic water heating systems . Edition 4.00 . ( This standard was first published in 2006 .)
• 2018 SANS 893-2 Legionnaires disease The Control of legionella in water systems . Edition-2
The reference to Editions indicates amendments that have been made since its initial entry to the market . When fully reviewed it will reflect another year and so on as with 10106 .
We are speaking of domestic here as larger installations requiring an engineer ’ s input would be a rational design . Such an engineer must be registered with the Engineering Council of South Africa ( ECSA ) and plumbers must be registered with the professional body for plumbing , the Plumbing Industry Registration Board ( PIRB ).
Nonetheless the reference to 10400 XA and 204 reinforces the plumber ’ s responsibility to the environment and the correct understanding of the big picture we referred to earlier .
“ Indispensable is defined as ‘ not subject to being set aside or neglected ’ and ‘ obligatory ’ or finally ‘ absolutely necessary ’.”
March 2021 Volume 27 I Number 1 www . plumbingafrica . co . za