Then read GREEN TIPS published by UCS, which I am a member! and I urge you to join UCS even if you are not a scientist. It is a good source of information on energy, world and local matters that matters to all of us, and pure good science for cleaner and healthier living. Most of my articles are originated from the ideas I receive from UCS and I am sure you will wonder, why did not I find this site before!
Now back in to hot water, A few years, a decade ago, I worked on a project to introduce Solar Energy to a third world country, factory. This factory needed a lot of hot water and steam in order to operate and they were spending a fortune in heating water that used boilers that were so old I could not even guess the age.
Due to monitory reasons they were not willing to replace the boilers and the project fund was not that big either.
So we decided to construct solar water heaters on the factory roof and feed the boilers with heated water so that it would use less energy to heat the water. All the people were sceptical because the factory was in a cold area higher up in the mountains. But we saw that, when sun shines, it shines better.
The water the factory was getting was from a natural stream, and water was cold to touch.
So we sat out to produce solar water heater, which were very crude, from copper plates, copper tubes and Matt black paint. We produced about 30 panels about one square meter and connected them in serial manner. We fed cold water in one end and checked out the other end, Viola, near steaming water came out on sunny days. Even on cold gloomy days, water temperature was much higher than that of the stream.
The factory workers and the owners (The same) were very happy to see the results. They started saving a lot of money as they connected the output of the solar heater to the input of the boilers. After a decade, now they have much better solar heater and boilers. All made locally by technicians that we trained. This is something I always remember when I think of solar power. It makes me extremely happy.
Now back to the UCS green tips article,
Water heating accounts for approximately 15 percent of the average household’s total energy consumption (and a sizable chunk of its energy costs). If your water heater is more than 10 years old it is likely running at less than 50 percent efficiency—wasting energy and money—but most people don’t replace their water heater until it fails. Upgrading to a new, more efficient model will lower not only your monthly expenses, but also your contribution to air pollution and global warming.
Before you shop for a new water heater, however, make sure you’ve done everything you can to minimize your hot water use. Install water-saving fixtures and appliances, for example, and insulate your pipes. Then, choose the most energy-efficient model that meets your needs and budget; three types are described below.
So I ask you to click on the link below and read the rest of the article, you may get out of the hot water you are in right now!Links;
Hot water with less worry
UCS Union of Concerned Scientists
Incentives for renewable energy
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