Environmental Benefits of Domestic Solar Water Heating Systems
Date Issued
July 2005
Author(s)
Abstract
In this paper an analysis of the pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels is briefly presented
followed by a study on the environmental protection offered by domestic solar water heating systems. The
results presented in this paper show that by using solar energy for domestic water heating considerable amounts
of greenhouse polluting gasses are avoided. The savings, compared to a conventional system, are about 80%,
with electricity or diesel backup and about 75% with both electricity and diesel backup. Additionally, all
systems investigated give positive and very promising financial characteristics. With respect to life cycle
assessment of the systems, the energy spent for the manufacture and installation of the solar systems is
recouped in about 1.2 years, whereas the payback time with respect to emissions produced from the embodied
energy required for the manufacture and installation of the systems varies from a few months to 3.7 years
according to the fuel and the particular pollutant considered. Moreover the cost of damage avoided by some of
the pollutants is investigated with respect to damages to crops, materials, mortality and morbidity. It was found
that C£31 (Euro 51.7) are avoided per year when the system is using electricity as auxiliary, C£15.5 (Euro 25.8)
are avoided when both electricity and diesel are used and C£13 (Euro 21.7) when diesel is used alone for each
solar water heating system. It can therefore be concluded that solar energy systems offer significant protection
to the environment and cost savings and should be employed whenever possible in order to achieve a
sustainable future.
followed by a study on the environmental protection offered by domestic solar water heating systems. The
results presented in this paper show that by using solar energy for domestic water heating considerable amounts
of greenhouse polluting gasses are avoided. The savings, compared to a conventional system, are about 80%,
with electricity or diesel backup and about 75% with both electricity and diesel backup. Additionally, all
systems investigated give positive and very promising financial characteristics. With respect to life cycle
assessment of the systems, the energy spent for the manufacture and installation of the solar systems is
recouped in about 1.2 years, whereas the payback time with respect to emissions produced from the embodied
energy required for the manufacture and installation of the systems varies from a few months to 3.7 years
according to the fuel and the particular pollutant considered. Moreover the cost of damage avoided by some of
the pollutants is investigated with respect to damages to crops, materials, mortality and morbidity. It was found
that C£31 (Euro 51.7) are avoided per year when the system is using electricity as auxiliary, C£15.5 (Euro 25.8)
are avoided when both electricity and diesel are used and C£13 (Euro 21.7) when diesel is used alone for each
solar water heating system. It can therefore be concluded that solar energy systems offer significant protection
to the environment and cost savings and should be employed whenever possible in order to achieve a
sustainable future.
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