Solar Heating in SA
According to the SABS (South African Bureau of Standards), solar–heated water systems should become the norm and not the exception in South Africa. Collaboration between the South African government and the private sector in the past couple of years has now provided a firm foundation for superior quality, safe locally manufactured geysers which is a cost-effective solution for heating water.
Going forward, overcoming red tape combined with new sources of energy as well as testing and local certification of solar geysers will soon become an everyday occurrence in South African home. It has become apparent that the dependence on the power grid is fast becoming problematic and price hikes will go a long way to resolving power issues and enhance economic growth in South Africa.
At present the SABS is the only laboratory that independently tests solar geysers:
- The laboratory consists of both indoor and outdoor facilities
- The testing covers both mechanical and electrical parts
- Additionally, testing includes thermal performance
- Mechanical performance
- Safety tests
- Exposure of the systems in brilliant sunshine for a period of thirty days without any water to gauge what the outcome will be
- Fatigue and hydrostatic pressure testing
- Tests for the penetration of rain
- Hail damage and the resistance thereof
- Freezing resistance
- And last but not least, the resistance of dezincification
It is imperative that we build any new homes, structures or buildings with renewable energy, and homes that are already on the power grid should be investigating ways and means to be totally independent of the power grid. There is no time like the present to instill new ways to green your world – the big question here is – how green is your world and how dependent are you on the grid?
