Solar water heaters are simple devices that use the power of the sun to heat water. There are many commercially available systems, although there are many designs for building your own system. Using solar water heaters reduces the need to heat water with fossil fuel based sources, which in turn reduces emissions of greenhouse gasses. Solar water heaters serve as a nice option for hot-water lovers everywhere.
We will use our onsite solar water heaters as practical demonstrations of how the technology works. Through our workshops and community installation projects, we share the many benefits of using solar water heaters with students and community members alike. We help community members learn how to install and maintain solar water heater units. Community members can in turn share what they have learned with others in the local area. Each installation includes a baseline measurement of current yearly energy use for water heating, with regular, follow-up measurements to document actual cost savings of installed units. This is important to show people that although the solar water heating systems are more expensive than conventional water heating systems initially, they will save a household more money in the long run. The initial financial barrier for the technology may be offset through a micro-loan program where households could buy the units on a payment plan.
