Solar water heaters made Al Bustan Rotana save Dh100,000 per year

Saturday, Oct 03, 2009

Gulf News

Dubai: Residents can lower their carbon footprint by installing solar water heaters on their roofs as they require no electricity and are suitable for families of four and upwards.

Yet solar water heaters remain far and few between on new developments despite the sustainability decree announced in 2008 intended to make Dubai green.

A local manufacturer based in Dubai who spoke to Gulf News said the return on investment from installing a sun-powered water heater can be made in just two years, with the initial cost totaling around Dh5,000.

Solar water heating systems use sunlight to heat water without causing any pollution, as opposed to electric water heaters which consume electricity created by burning fossil fuels.

Johannes Waimer, solar consulant from Premier Solar Technologies has developed an integrated storage collector which works on natural water pressure and requires no electricity. It has been tested and approved for hot climates by the Royal Jordanian Scientific Institute.

According to Waimer the solar water heater saves two tonnes of CO2 every year. In Dubai, the largest installation of these units has sat on the roof of the Al Bustan Rotana hotel, which has 84 collectors to cater to its 220 rooms, for the last nine years.

The hotel makes a saving of Dh100,000 on its electricity bill and saves 168 tonnes of CO2 annually.

"I don't understand why electric water heaters are still being used as they are polluters of the environment. These solar water heaters can heat up to 400 litres in a day to a temperature of 90C," said Waimer. The current factory is spread over 8,000 square metres in Dubai Investment Park,

The heaters function - thanks to a reflector positioned inside the casing - reflects the incoming sunlight onto the water tank, heating the water inside. No pumps are needed.

"Heating water with the sun has to become a must, it makes no sense otherwise in this region [to use electric heaters]," he said.

According to an operating cost comparison study conducted by a specialist publication, electric water heater cost based on a total water consumption of 250 litres per day per person in a residential tower of 3,500 residents would be around Dh750,500 per year.

The comparison favours of the solar heaters due to free solar rays, and for the same case study, the report found the cost would be around Dh400,000 per year.

Solar hot water systems usually need a biweekly cleaning of dust but otherwise require very basic maintenance.

By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter