did you know?

That the most advanced PV design to date is by a South African, Professor Vivian Alberts of University Johannesburg. Read more facts here

newsletter

Subscribe to our free Newsletter and stay informed of what is happening in the industry. This is a sent out every two months.

survey

Take our survey and help us collate important information to get you the best solution to your household solar efficiency problems.

how does it work?

For those interested in the way things work, this will provide some interesting reading and background knowledge on solar energy.

solar pool heating

Enhance your pool and extend your swimming hours and season with a heated pool system.

water harvesting - (grey water)

A little off the subject of solar, but still on the one of greening, take a look at ideas to harvest and efficiently utilise water in your household

energy saving tips

Become more green, even if it is in baby steps. Learn some useful tips and tricks to save you money around the house. Everything counts you know.

interesting & useful links

Here are some links you might find handy if you are looking to learn more around the subject of solar energy, what's happening, other uses and more.

while you are at it

Take a look at these other energy saving devices, as they will collectively make you more green.

 

 

solar gallery - the main ingredients

solar geysers

Solar technologies are categorized into two main parts; Active Solar and Passive Solar. Active solar technology includes things like photovoltaics, parabolics, or solar collectors used for water heating and/or cooking. Basically, anything that uses man-made electronic or mechanical equipment is active solar. Passive solar includes sun rooms, skylights and similar architectural concepts which utilize the sun for heating and lighting. Both active and passive solar technologies are used today.

direct system

In a direct solar system, the water is heated by circulating water from the storage vessel through the solar panels. This can be done naturally via thermo-syphon or through a pump. The system is simple and cost effective, however it must be noted that the pressure in the storage cylinder will be transferred to the panel which makes this unsuitable for some solar panels.

This system is also not suited for areas where frost and very low temperatures occur because of the possibility of the fluid in the panels and pipes freezing. It must be noted that there are controls available that reverse warm water through the panel to prevent freezing, however this could be costly.

indirect system

In an indirect solar system, the panel is filled with a glycol (anti-freeze) solution and this is pumped through a heat exchanger fitted in the storage cylinder.  Through this system the portable water in the storage cylinder is separated from the fluid in the solar panels.

Because of the glycol (anti-freeze) solution in the system, there is no risk of panels freezing and bursting in inclement weather.  An added advantage is that the panels can be operated at nil to low pressures.  This system is, however, more costly than that of a direct system.

retro fitting

Of course the most cost effective means of going solar is to retro fit your geyser to the solar power. But there are a couple of set backs to this though and these you need to know and consider when doing your solar conversion.

the importance of correct installation

This is one factor that cannot be overlooked. If you want a rebate from Eskom, it has to be done to their specs and certification requirements. You can easily overlook these, get your kit and install it and move on.

But the issue here is that with the headache of going the Eskom route, you will get some kind of quality control exercised on your system and installation. And this is not at all a bad thing.

diy installations

However, if you take the same stringent standards, and find the best system your money can buy, install that, you are good. But keep in mind that a geyser is actually a pressurized bomb. If you feed hot water to it consistently, and you don't allow escape valves to do their work, and there is no balance to the system for this, you can do sever damage to property and also potentially to human life. So, all told, get professionals out to install, pay that little bit more to make sure it is installed properly and that the guarantees and warrantees can all be fulfilled.

NOTE: It can take a professional installation crew about a day to install a new solar geyser and vacuum tube heaters, accounting for removing the current system, installing the new plumbing and electrical for the new system, checking and signing off.

So, in closing, take great care when doing a DIY installation. Get all the advice and information you can get and only deal with reputable companies when doing so. There are a lot of different systems available.