Greenparkview public meeting Tuesday March 8 th 2011

Greenparkview public meeting, Tuesday March 8 th, 2011

agenda • • • Introduction Steve Lenehan, Chairperson, PRA Turning Parkview Green Indra de Lanerolle, Greenparkview Costs and benefits Rob Brine, Greenparkview equipment options Rob Brine, Greenparkview What next? Indra de Lanerolle, Greenparkview 2

From Red to Green Safe. Parkview now has over 500 members - nearly half the households in the suburb are now contributing to make Parkview safer. Our goal now is to see how we can build on that success to make Parkview greener

Using the power of neighbours and neighbourhoods • Harness collective buying power • Share research and information • Get the most appropriate solutions at the best prices.

Starting with research So far we have conducted a survey to gauge interest in solar water heating A team led by Rob Brine has also done extensive research on suppliers, on costs and benefits of solar water heating and on the technology choices available.

Survey results • Sent to 700 email addresses at about 480 safeparkview and PRA households. • 195 responses • 55% said they were willing to participate in a bulk solar water heating project • Average household spends R 1, 500 per month on electricity

COSTS AND BENEFITS

COSTS AND BENEFITS Financing a solar water heating system should be viewed in the context electricity tariff hikes and electricity shortages. R 1000 bill now will increase to nearly R 2000 in the next three years. Eskom offering rebates of between R 4, 200 and R 12, 500 per system.

Investment Appraisal The investment required for a solar geyser ranges from R 9 k – R 22 k (after subsidy). Typical monthly electricity bills in Parkview are R 1500. Water heating with an electric geyser accounts for 40%. Converting to a solar geyser would save R 600 per month, on average.

Payback Period The payback period of converting to a solar geyser system would typically be between three and five years (some individual systems may have a longer payback period of eight or nine years).

100 Litre System Costs Rebate from Eksom Equipment (100 Litre tank) R 6, 000 - R 7, 000 Installation R 2, 000 - R 3, 000 (Based on size of tank installed, efficiency of system) Total R 8, 000 to R 10, 000 ‘Typical’ Parkview Household 250 Litre tank equipment and installation Total R 14, 000 to R 27, 000 Estimated Net Cost range R 4, 000 (+/-) R 4, 000 to R 6, 000 Rebate from Eksom Estimated net cost range (Based on size of tank installed, efficiency of system) R 5, 000 to R 7, 000 (+/-) R 9, 000 - R 20, 000

Useful Product Lifespan & Warranty The average electric geyser has a working life span of 7 yearssome lower end solar geysers range between 8 -10 years (some solar systems have a 25 year life span). SABS approved systems normally have a 10 -year warranty.

Net Effect on Home Insurance Standard insurance cover is available, some offer a reduced premium for certain systems. Insurers in South Africa require that solar geyser systems comply with SABS standards and those demanded of Eskom’s accredited suppliers.

Net Effect on Property Values House value with solar heating installed increases. SA realtors reported average was +7% with a peak at 11% on properties valued at under R 2. 5 million.

EQUIPMENT OPTIONS

Choosing a solar geyser seems complicated - it isn’t. Advantage is that the research has been done for you. Eskom publishes useful guides http: //www. eskomdsm. co. za/library

HOT WATER REQUIREMENTS & SIZE SYSTEM REQUIRED Don’t rely on electrical element, plan properly, limiting use of the back-up element means you maximize return on your solar investment. 50 litres of hot water person + an extra 50 litres to calculate minimum capacity of your solar water system.

Two types of Panels - ‘Flat Plate’ or ‘Vacuum Tube’ Vacuum Tube Flat Plate

Collector Type Flat Plate Collector (FPC) Performance FPCs tend to have better performance EVTs can reach extremely high temperatures and than EVTs on ideal solar days. are especially good for systems requiring high grade heat in commercial or industrial settings. Their efficiency drops off during the Tend to perform better in the winter months due colder months. to insulating properties of a vacuum. Cost FPCs are typically less expensive. Size/Weight FPCs are typically 1. 5 x 2 m, however, ETCs are typically 1. 5 x 2 m, depending on the some manufacturers provide variety of number of tubes in the collector. sizes. Lighter Heavier A typical collector will weigh between 50 to 60 kg. between 50 to 100 kg. The FPC cover is typically made of Although evacuated tubes are made of hailsafe tempered glass which is resistant to tempered glass but they can breakage. If broken, each individual tube can be replaced If damaged, likely that the entire easily and at relatively little cost without having to collector would need to be replaced. shut down the system as each tube is isolated from the collector. Maintenance Evacuated Vacuum Tube (EVT) Typically more expensive than FPCs. However, some EVTs can be relatively cheap.

EVT EPC CLEAR DAY MILDLY CLOUDY BTU/M 2/DAY CLOUDY

TWO TYPES OF SYSTEM AVAILABLE Direct systems - water is heated-up directly Indirect systems - water is heated-up via a heat exchange mechanism and a transfer medium

TWO TYPES OF STORAGE SYSTEM AVAILABLE Pumped storage – water is forcibly moved by a pump (also known as a split-system) Thermosyphon – the tank is placed above the panel- water moves by convection (also called close-coupled)

THREE TANK CONFIGURATIONS Standard installation should be selected if the existing electric geyser needs to be replaced. Pre-feed installation feeds solar-heated water into an existing geyser when extra hot water capacity is required. Retrofit systems possible- saves on cost of new solar tank.

WHAT NEXT?

what next? • Those interested complete quote questionnaire online and tell others • Asking for suppliers to provide proposals including pricelists and discounts bids. • select preferred suppliers (quality, terms, ability to deliver and price) • users select supplier and product and sign up directly with supplier. Discounts will depend on number of people signed up. 26

Already have a system installed and are willing to share your experience with us? Please forward your contact details to us at green@parkview. org. za

Want to become involved in the project which will request quotes from suppliers? PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY go to https: //www. surveymonkey. com/s/greenparkview or visit the PRA website www. parkview. org. za

Should you have any questions or concerns about the initiative, kindly email us at green@parkview. org. za