Solar Water Heater Project: Design for Sustainable Communities (2009)

This report was written by Professor Ashok Gadgil of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at the University of California. The professor and a team of student researchers set out to design a solar thermal water heating system for use by native populations in Guatemala, and the document reports on their success.

The team used a local Native American tribe as their test population, due to the similarities in lifestyle and climate that they shared with the population the design was intended for in Guatemala. After examining water usage patterns and their correlation with climate patterns, the team was able to come up with an affordable design. Their main caveat was that the system should be used for all off a family’s water heating needs and not just showers or else the payback time would not be too long to justify the investment.

Author: Professor Ashok Gadgil

Date: 2009

Pages: 35

Original Source Link

Download document here