TECHNICAL 39
Alternative energy – why it ’ s a must for South Africa !
By
Rory Macnamara
For hot water storage systems ( HWSS ) the standard is clear that 50 % of such systems must come from alternative energy sources . The plumber ’ s role and opportunity are essential and great .
Whether the installation fitting into this section ( HWSS ) is for domestic , commercial , or industrial use , and where the plumber may be more influential than the construction plumber ( where he / she is part of the construction team ), the plumber ’ s input at an early stage is critical .
From all the references sought and extracted the one common factor is performance of the system . An excellent paper , * ‘ A review of Water Heating Technologies : An application to the South African context ’, emphasises performance as the main factor , and from that , with other factors like electricity costs , can one reach a ROI . Performance ( COP ) must be calculated within the application environment and not the brochure environment !
Another paper notes that manufacturers are not always transparent about the performance factor . This was seen in the solar sector when many years ago everyone climbed on the band wagon and turned a potentially excellent industry into a nightmarish , opportunistic , and corrupt industry , leaving the professional solar companies that had been around for decades , shaking their heads and wondering what had hit them .
Nonetheless , we are looking at a broader market in this context and certainly one where the plumber can benefit greatly .
Some alternative products are : Solar water heaters ( passive and active circulation ), heat pump water heaters , geothermal water heating , photovoltaic-thermal water heaters , gas fired tankless water heaters , biomass water heaters and oil-fired water heaters .
The electric HWSS has played a long and important role in providing hot water to people over the decades and has sought to improve its performance as electricity costs continue to soar , achieving an energy rating of B .
The insurance industry needs to become more active , together with the plumber , in encouraging the implementation of the XA standard . Of course , it all ends with the consumer who would be happy to have solar but is not willing to pay , incorrectly believing the insurance must pay for an upgrade . Clearly this is nonsense as insurance is
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Heat pump
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May 2021 Volume 27 I Number 3 www . plumbingafrica . co . za